The Hacker
by dragonrose8910
Summary: Leaf Verde is a bored teenager with the IQ of 172. She found that once she finished a game,She found that once she finished a game, it becomes boring to play it though again. So she amused herself by using her computer to change the programming. One day she ran into a doozy of a game failsafe for her Pokémon Red Version. She is sucked into the game. What now?
1. The Hacker: Prologue

If you are reading this book right now over your laptop, computer, tablet, phone or whatever then I have succeeded.

I had no other choices to turn to, so I wrote this up as fast as I could before my final opportunity. I am not sure what will happen after the moment... So I asked one of my close friends in the world I am currently in to publish this story.

_My_ story.

I wanted this story to be told. No, I needed this to be heard.

I bet you all have heard of the game's FireRed and LeafGreen right? I hadn't for quite a long while. Oh, before you go all crazy asking if I was raised in a cave I will tell you now...

I wasn't.

I was just wondering.

Did you ever find it curious that Kris, from the game Crystal, was the first girl to ever come up? How_ Leaf_ came a couple years later? Well guess what? That is thanks to a 15 year old hacker in 2014 who ended up not just re-writing the progaming of a Pokemon Red Version, but the entire history of that one cartridge. Who knew hacking could do that?

I have an IQ of 172 and I didn't even know that was possible.

Some person got a hold of the altered game in 1999 and handed it into GameFreak claiming it was a hacked game they found. Though the finder also said, "After playing though this game, the plot and concept seemed very interesting and worth looking though." The game creators had followed though with it. They found it had many interesting things that they had entwined into future games. Also, after some changes to the story created in the Hacked Red Version, they created the ideas for FireRed and LeafGreen.

Now how do I know this you are probably asking?

My name is Leaf Verde. A video game hacker who has hacked games from Legend of Zelda original on hand held to the PC game: Sims 4. I was born in 1999, making me 15 in the year 2014. I am a kid-genius. I hacked my Red Version and an accident occurred.

I will never be able to return to Earth.

But I thought my story would be worth telling.

Oh, can you do me one favor?

Find a woman named Alice Verde and tell her that her daughter is in a better place? Thanks. I don't want her to worry anymore...

And now, here's how it started...


	2. The Hacker: Chapter 1

I held my GameBoy over my head, using the arrow pad underneath the screen to move my avatar around.

2014 and I was still playing GameBoy. Yes, I had a 3DS but I liked old school stuff.

The chocolate haired boy I was playing at the time playing walked into the tall pixelated grass. The patch was on the route side of Vermilion City. Soon the electronic sound of battle music began. I set the hand-held down onto my bed and with a flop, rolled to my belly. A cord that connected the GameBoy with my prized laptop pressed into my stomach but I didn't mind it too much.

My fingers flew across the keyboard like a spider, the faint sound of tapping keys filled my utterly dark room. My caramel eyes shook vigorously as the thousands of lime green digits that built a code soar up my screen.

My pinky clicked the "Enter" button, the final clack being the loudest. I nibbled on my lower lip as I turned back to face my GameBoy. My muddy brown hair twisted around my body with the movement. I lifted the game up, and a warm feeling surged through my veins.

As my player character threw out my starter, Charizard, my lips curled into a grin. Our enemy was a faded pink mirage, it's long tail snaking around itself.

It was technically impossible to receive Mew without special events, even in original games like my Red Version.

But not for me. Nothing was impossible for me.

You see, if I was ever able to receive Mew by events it means the pokemon's code was already in the game. So if I was able to find in in the oceans of data packed into one cartridge and cut it into the location code my avatar was at then it would appear as a wild pokemon. Because all I really did was modify the original pokemon that was supposed to appear to fit Mew.

I opened up my team, and gazed upon them for a moment.

Charizard- Level 100

Blastoise- Level 100

Venusaur-Level 100

Lapras-Level 100

Snorlax-Level 100

Pikachu- And guess what? Level 100

I just wanted to admire my team I was able to build by hacks for a moment before I exited back to the battle. I moved on to the section labeled, "BAG" and opened the pokeball section. My 99 masterballs sat awaiting me with a glowing radiance.

I smirked, "Gottcha ya' little sucker..." I whispered as I chose a masterball to throw. My avatar in mid-toss froze, the screen glitched. Bar lines darted across the screen and the catchy battle music was replaced with a high static screech. The frequency continued to change at full volume as the codes flashed across the small screen. small sparks glittered in my dark bedroom.

Both my hands were slapped against my ears and my teeth gritted into one another. With much courage, I peeled a hand away from my left ear and reached over to the grey GB's power switch. My finger flicked at it multiple times, but nothing happened.

I let out a pained growl,_ I hate when systems do this... Always with the older ones too._

Soon, the glitching game effected my computer. The modern technology amplified the static, the screen lighting up a pure white.

With no more options, I ripped the GameBoy from it's plug and chucked it at my wall.

The breaking open of plastic and shattering of circuits was the end of it. My laptop forced itself to a shutdown, leaving me alone in the darkness.

Well, not for too long.

"LEAF!" My door was flung open, the hallway light flooding the room. I cringed back as the switch on the wall was turned on and my room was illuminated by it's own light. My graying mother gazed at me hysterically, "Aw Leaf! Are you alright? What happened?! I heard some screeching, I thought it was some bat in the house, and then I heard something break in your room! And why don't you have a normal light on in here!? The computer screen light can not be good for your eyes or complication!"

Yes, my name is Leaf. Leaf Verde. I am named after a freaking plant. Actually, a_ part_ of a plant. My mother was not that creative with names. And it wasn't like father was there to help with the naming. He was shot in the head a month before I was born. His body, I suppose, was found in an ally the day after the murder. It was an alleged mugging, according to the police.

I guess it's sad. My mom always cries on his birthday and day of death. But, I am never really upset about it. I mean, I never met the man. How can I morn about someone if I didn't know who they were? Was my father a good man? Was he a moral man? Was he a strict one? Was he loving? Was he abusive? These things will never know and I don't need to.

I rolled my eyes and rubbed my pasty white arm, "Moooom... I was just hacking one of my games. The darkness helps me focus. A fail-safe came up, it won't happen next time."

My mother placed a hand over her heart and let out the breath she had been holding. But quickly, her ease flickered to shock, "It is almost 11:30 at night, young lady! You've been hacking since I got home at 3! What about your homework!? And you should be asleep!"

I ran a hand through my hair that draped down to my mid-back, "I have an IQ of 172. That homework was even more simple than the Pythagorean Theorem. Which, is very simple for me. I finished it before I left that mediocre school you send me too."

"That mediocre school is a top of the line advance high school rated number 3 in our entire country. We moved out here so you could just attend it." My mom said in a condescending tone, one hand on her hip. "And you are taking all AP classes in your sophomore year! How is that simple?"

I just shrugged, "I'll go to sleep now mom. See you in the morning."

"You too." She finally said, letting out a small sigh. She turned around and switched off the lights.

"Love you." I voiced quietly just before she clicked the door silently closed. I simpered slightly before pacing over to my underwear drawer. Even in the darkness I could shuffled the clothing articles around and pick out my back up GameBoy. I set it on my pillow and booted my laptop back up.

The bright light that covered the room behind me also lit up my crimson GameBoy. From the corner of my eye, I saw a pile of broken plastic. I slipped over there and fingered though the wreckage, "What is salvageable..." I mused. My eyes widened in shock as I came across, underneath the heap of shards, was a mostly undamaged Pokemon Red Version.

I blinked ferociously, this occurrence was highly improbable. Almost impossible.

Once I tossed the unsalvageable wiring into the trash and slipped the saved circuits into a box full of more, I sat back onto my bed. I took another glimpse at the ruby colored piece of plastic in my grasp, a few scratches on the corner.

I wondered for a moment if I had lost any of the data on it.

It quickly dawned upon me, that if it did... I could try my hand at re-writing the programming. Though, from a blank slate it would just be writing. Swiftly, I plugged the GameBoy into my laptop and popped that old game into the cartridge holder in the back.

My computer alerted me that I had plugged in a foreign object and I moved the mouse to X off the alert. Once I pulled up the games system, I was in. My fingers flew across the keyboard once like before, though this time new codes being imported. I decided that after beating the game, if I could change an entire sentence of what the rival says then I could do anything.

Before flipping on my game, I perched my pillow up against my bed's backing and relaxed. I held the GB in my hands and watch as the game flashed across the screen. The beginning music played with an electrical echo like the usual. The main menu came, with the usual choices.

I hit the A button to "Continue".

But something curious happened. My Avatar, named Red for game-namesake, was standing in the dead center of his bedroom. I rose an eyebrow and opened up the party option. Everything remained normal there. I let the disturbance roll off my shoulder, thinking that I had just forgotten that this was the last place I saved at.

I maneuvered the character from his home and flew him to the elite four. Demolished them with my team. Then finally I came to the champion's threshold. Like usual, Blue(Rival named after The Blue Version which I hadn't owned at the time) waited for me.

I challenged him to a battle and won in a hasty sweep.

The battle faded back to the sprite screen, the characters were conversing. My breath had caught itself in my throat with anticipation. Re-writing words was easy, but I felt like what was going to happen next was going to trigger something big.

I suppressed a chuckle, _What am I thinking? It's just a game..._

Blue stoically stood across from my avatar, "Again and again... I have lost to you Red." The speech bubble at the bottom of the screen read. I moaned with impatience, pressing the A button carefully. I didn't want to accidentally pass what I had decided to change.

That was when it started.

"But I am disappointed in you, my eternal Rival, Red... You let a player hack into our system, use you. You let them destroy the natural balance of our world. Look at yourself. You have all level one-hundreds and all three starters. The player cheated, they just used you."

_What the...?_ My jaw drooped as the text flashed across the speech bubble. _I know_ I_ didn't program this..._

Blue continued to talk, unmoving like all original game sprites. "For this, as champion of Kanto... I banish you to Mt. Silver. And under the Kanto-Johto alliance, you may never set foot on either country." Without a word, my avatar turned around and walked out the door.

I rose one of my eyebrows, _This must be a fail-safe that the game creators set up. It's like the Mew one, that I was attempting to work around. Next is probably going to be some "Game Over" And I just have to restart..._

Expectantly waiting to see the screen fade to black, the image remained. Curiosity started to bubble up within me, "Where's the Game Over..." I thought out loud.

"That's not how life works, Player." The black text slowly faded across the screen from Blue's speech bubble. "In life, you can't just make a mistake and get a do-over. Or a _Game Over_ as you say." My fingers that had gripped the crimson GameBoy flew to the back of my neck. The hand-held gaming system dropped to my comforter.

My eyes danced across the system while I recalled that GameBoy's didn't have microphones or cameras. "That's not right... Or possible..." I droned in awe, confusion and a teeny bit of fear. The music changed to an eerie silence, nothing. Just a faint static buzz.

Though a clear laugh emitted from the system. The voice sounded electronic, "It is very possible, Player. Or should I call you Hacker? Just as Red has been punished, you shall be too."

"Alright, I am going to hunt down whatever messed-up game creator programmed this... Then wring them around the neck for striking this terror into me..." I let out a hollow and nervous laugh, pressing the power switch.

Nothing.

I hit it again.

Nothing.

Like last time, sparks emitted from the system and the ringing static began again. Electricity ran though the cord that connected the GB to my laptop at high speeds. My computer's screen flashed all the colors of the rainbow at such speed it was like a strobe light.

The intensity stung my eyes, I swore to myself it would cause a seizure. The wire snapped right up the middle, sending even more sparks into my dim room. The sudden change shut my laptop down. I pushed the top screen down with one arm, the other attempting to cover my two ears while the feedback frequency increased.

The free running wire that snapped second's before whipped its plastic-coated self against my open arm. The copper inside shot volts of electric through my body, and I let out a tortured yelp. More electricity that seemed to just be expelled from the GameBoy wrapped around me like vines. The pain started to become unbearable, and my agonizing cries were only drown out by the static.

After what was probably 10 G's of electricity rushed though my veins I finally blacked-out. Maybe from the pain. Maybe because the electricity had stopped my heart. Maybe from how confused I was at this impossible phenomenon.

I had no clue for how long I was out cold.

I really didn't care.

All I knew was the darkness that filled my mind. How difficult it was to even send forward a thought. An idea.

When my mind had pulled me into what I assumed was consciousness, a thick fog filled my brain.

I might have not been fully attentive at the time, but there was one thing I knew when I had awoken. My eyes absorbed the setting that had lied out before me, my cover's up to my chin. I slowly rose and shook my head in disapproval, the cover slipping down to my hips.

My room definetely was never pink.


	3. The Hacker: Chapter 2

I grunted and I tossed the woolen covers to the foot of my bed. Rolling my neck forward groggily, I swung my legs over the side of my bed. My feet pressed into the chilled wooden panels that made up my room's flooring.

I sucked in a cheek as my eyebrows furrowed together in annoyance, _My room is carpeted with white polypropylene. Well, after years of not cleaning it, the carpet threads turned an eggshell color. Where ever I am, my captors didn't make any effort to trick me into this being my home. _I scanned the sweet nectar walls and noticed some picture frames hanging. I strided over to them and picked up on the fact that they were covered in a blanket of dust, they had been hanging there fore months I guessed.

The photos in them caused me to recoil.

_No, these aren't pictures... They are drawings by some anime artist._ I determined in my mind. I looked at the even coloration, yet perfect shadows were present. Though, soon I realized the picture I had been examining was the exact same I had in my real room.

My middle school graduation.

There was a little me with black nerd glasses, my muddy hair tied into a neat pony tail was sitting over my shoulder. In my right hand was a creamy diploma pressed into my chest. The other was giving the camera a peace sign. I was showing a pearly grin while my mother stood behind with a narrow hand placed over my shoulder. My heart felt a small pang as I saw her expression.

She was smiling.

As much as my mother really had cared, the picture I had in my room she wasn't smiling. She never smiled for me. In the actual photo, she just stood somberly gazing off into the distance. It was when I remorse at the artist's poor portrayal that I saw it.

The man standing behind.

Half his head was cut off by the photo's rim, but his lips were curled back into a smile. The same one I would get when I broke though a code. The overwhelming pride I would feel just emanated from the man. I ripped the frame from where it hung on the wall and let it drop.

Shatter against the hard wood flooring.

"it's your fault." I had found myself muttering with scorn in every precise word. The pounding of footsteps came from a staircase in the upper right corner of my room. I craned my neck around to see a woman burst forth into the room.

My eyes widened.

It_ was_ my mother. But she was in the same anime form the pictures had been. Her dark eyes trembled while she gazed at me, "Leaf, are you okay?! I heard something-" her gaze fell down to the broken photo at my bare feet, and she sighed. "You... Aren't taking it well I see..."

I moved my right ear closer to my shoulder to cock my head. My own words from before slipped into the back of my mind, "Taking what not well?" _The fact I am completely and utterly confused about where I am? Well, she probably doesn't know if I asked her. _From her demeanor, it seemed that she belonged in this weirdness. Soon, my mind had also processed that my surroundings were in the same anime style. Though, I contained the bewilderment that enacted my body to throb.

The woman's face softened, her eyes filling with a sadness, "His death. You are having taking in your father's untimely death, right? From the luxurious Saffron City to the small Pallet Town... I just thought it would be better for you- us- to be away from where he died."

I groaned inwardly, _Great. My father died here, but I knew him I guess. And I moved too because my mom thought it would be "Better for me"._

"Where... How did father die again?" My mother's face filled with a concern that I didn't know, "I'm sorry, my mind just isn't working right now. I just woke up."

"Oh..." My mother hushed in a daze before snapping back, "Your father was working a late shift at Silph Co. the day that Team Rocket took over. As a scientist who wasn't obeying them or didn't flee in time, he was killed. It wasn't for a week later that Red kid showed up and took that Rocket down... If only he came faster..."

I blinked suddenly, remembering how I had avoided playing my Pokemon Red Version for a week right before I saved Silph Co... To this time I still don't understand if those two facts were linked, but I really did't mind it too much.

My mother clicked her tongue and pushed forward a small smile, "Now leave me to clean this up. You have a visitor downstairs."

"Well, can I get dressed first?" I muttered, gazing down at the gry sweatpants and black hoodie I had been wearing, presently. My mother laughed quietly, something I had rarely heard from her before. She nodded and proceeded back down the stairway. I shook my head, taking this in as all a game-induced dream.

Or nightmare.

I swung open the closet doors and felt a new heavy weight on my shoulders. "So much verity..." I growled sarcastically as I only saw one outfit constantly repeated in the closet. A black tank top. A Blue over shirt with out sleeves. A red skirt. Red and White sneakers. And blue _legwarmers_. No socks, just legwarmers.

On a shelf that took up about 3 feet of my closet top was stacked high with the same exact, repeating hat. It was white fedora with a red line running across it. Then a small rising bump in the middle.

"Well, I think I know what I am wearing today now..." I grumbled as I slipped the clothes on. Finally finished, I trotted over to a small wall hanging mirror to fix my hat. "Aaand, I am in anime too... Great..." My mud hair was ruffling out from under where my hat sat, and no matter how much I tried to fix it... There was no way to get rid of the fluff.

I still have it today, you know?

Once I was done "Admiring" myself in the mirror I wandered down the steps into the house's living room. It was pretty basic. At the back center of the living space was an old box TV. To the very upper left corner was a sink and cupboard that was chocked full of plates and utensils. Greeting guests who entered the house on both sides were two luscious green house plants. In the middle of the room was a large green wool carpet with some white patterned into it. What sat atop the rug was a square wooden table with four seats.

My mom sat in the one closest to me, her dark locks cascading down her back. She turned to me with a great big grin, "Oh hun! Did you know that one of our new neighbors is the champion of Kanto! And he is such a good boy! He even came to greet and welcome us in_ person_!"

_Oh, so... My punishment was... Was to be sucked into the game... That's not screwed up at all..._

I rolled my eyes and took a breath as I fabricated a nonchalant facade, "That's very nice mom that some power consumed ego-maniac came to visit us to give us a 'good-impression'. Watch him tear down our house in a week because he wants to expand his own." I grimly remembered it was by the Champion's decree I was sucked into this game.

"Ehem." A voice said across from the table. I peered around my mom's figure to feel all my hair stand on end. The spiky haired teen sat cross-legged sipping a cup of whatever my mother had made for him. From the aroma that wafted around the room, I guessed it was an Earl Gray Tea. "But I don't like being described as a Power consumed ego-maniac. I am just only a bit cocky." He smirked. His maple colored eyes swirled with a childish amusement as they scanned me up and down.

I give him a quick sneer before my mom stood up from her seat. "Leaf! How could you be so rude?! Even in his presence-"

Blue stood also, setting his porcelain tea cup onto a small plate with a light clack. He paced up behind my nerve wracked mother and patted her shoulder. "Ah Mrs. Green, let it go. She's just a kid."

_Ah, great. My last name was changed... Just wonderful..._

"I am not a kid!" I snapped quicker than I realized, "I will have you know I am a 15 year old girl with the IQ of 172! The only reason I'm not in college was because mom didn't want me to be in a place surrounded by older people! Inferiority complexes are a pain in the butt to deal with! I am smarter than you so I am not 'Just a kid'!"

My mother was mortified by my outburst, she was even rendered speechless. Of all things, what happened next, I hadn't expected. The ginger burst out into laughter, wiping a tear away from his eye, "Your telling me you are the same age as me?! Oh Mew, I thought you were going to be some 10 year old who looked a year or two older!"

"SHUT UP!"

"You really want to take that tone with _me_?" Blue rose an eyebrow in suspicion. "Oh, um. Leaf, was it? I need to talk to you outside for a moment." He stated before walking out our door, shutting it calmly behind him. My response was only a grunt as I took his dish to the sink. I held the cup over it like the thing was radioactive. With much detestation, I let the hazel liquid pour down the drain.

From behind, I heard foot-tapping. "Well? Aren't you going to see what he wants?"

I let out a puff of air, "Aren't _you_ going to morn over dad more?"

Mother inhaled sharply. Her tone became frosty, "You have a real chance here, Leaf."

I turned the sink handle and let the water run over the dishes, "At what mom?"

"At a friendship. Maybe more. Blue is a nice kid your age, he would be good for you."

"Good for me? _Good_ for me?" I scoffed, setting the plate and cup at the bottom of the steel sink. "What would have been good for me would be a mom who actually listened to me. Not one who buried herself in work since father died. For my entire life."

"What do you mean Leaf? I have been here for you, with open ears. Is there something wrong?"

I paused for a moment. Taking a deep breath I calmed myself. I spun around on my heel and smiled brightly, "It's nothing, mom! I'll go out and talk to Blue now!" Before she could respond, I sprinted over and out the door. I pressed myself against the door and sucked my lips in. I noticed that where a trainer sign had been under Red's house, next to the lab, was where my home had now stood. _Very interesting_...

"Nice little break down you had in there..." A voice snickered.

I shot a sharp glare at Blue who stood in front of me with a painted smirk. "What do you want? More of, what is going on here? I get that I am somehow in the pokemon world and all but how? Oh God, this has to be all some bad dream."

He chuckled, "Lot's of questions for a smart girl."

"Genius. And the brightest people ask the most questions. Now talk."

He rose his hands in surrender, "Fine, fine. First, we don't have a God. We have Arceus, get used to how we talk here because you will be stuck here for awhile. Right now, you are in the game. Your game. I'm just a program here, so I can't explain much. I just know that there is something more intricate going on in this than you realize. And hacking is a big No-No. Once you had played though the game and I had become champion, I had the power to control the fail-safes against hackers like you. Though, you seemed persistent. Sadly, once it came to far and you wanted to re-write our dialogue for your own pleasure that was enough. I was forced to banish Red. See, the avatar's you play are equally responsible with the fail-safe enacting since it is their player."

I cocked my head, a few of my stray locks tumbled over my shoulder. "Really? But I never once saw a part of the system try to stop me from hacking _until_ you were champion."

Blue sighed, his expression filling with a bitterness, "Exactly. Maybe Red's program was glitching, but maybe it wasn't. Either way, he let you hack the entire way so I was forced to punish him. As much as the dude was my rival, he was my neighbor and friend since we were babies."

I hesitated. It struck me that even programs even had emotions. Histories. A Life. I guessed if you write something a past, it will have feelings.

"So why am I here?" I inquired blandly.

"Because. Just punishing him would do nothing. _You_ need to learn your lesson." Blue said in all seriousness, "You are going to play though this, obtain every badge, fight every trainer, and defeat the pokemon league without hacking."

"Sounds easy enough. But I repeat, why am I in the game?"

"Because. This is life, there are no do-overs. All in the same, you will also be taking responsibility for your actions. You have to clear this game of all the hacks you had imported in the past. And yes, that means Red's pokemon too. Also, you will not be able to reach Mt. Silver until you beat the pokemon league, that includes me. You are in the game to see how us programs feel, how we have to life in this game. Be lucky you aren't being controlled by some greater being." I shot him a look of disbelief and he sighed, "You know, Red almost never talked. That's why I hated him for a few years. Once he did talk, I realized what he said was important. But you can't change the way you felt for someone for so long, so it turned into a rivalry for us... At some point, I saw my own grandfather begin to favorite him over me... Yet it still hurt when I had to banish him."

"Uhuh... I see that you programs feel now but... How am I supposed to play this game though? I already beat it with Red as my Avatar." I explained.

Blue squeezed his eyes shut and gave a very forces smile, "Mew... you are so annoying. You just have to beat all the gym leaders then challenge the elite four. Beat them of course. Following this train of thought, since Red chose Charmander and as his rival I picked Squirtle... You are left with Bulbasaur. By the way, your hacks for getting all the starters are so cheap. You basically just copied their format too for getting Mew. I was just surprised Red never froze the game at those moments." From his bag he pulled out a small red and white sphere. He grabbed my wrist and buried the technology into my hand. "Well, Smell ya' later." He smirked cockily before taking off towards his home.

What? Did you expect him to fly off on his flying pokemon? I mean, I did live in Pallet so he had family to visit.

I didn't bother telling my mom I was leaving. I just held the pokeball in my hand as I walked out onto route one. I looked into the small piece of technology and started muttering bitter words to myself,

"I always hated Bulbasaur..."


	4. The Hacker: Chapter 3

I sighed, trudging though Curelean City. The words of the Gym Leader worker flickered though my mind, _"Sorry. Our gym leader, Misty, is out right now. She is probably at Curelean Point. That is by Ben's place, just past the Nugget Bridge." _The golden shimmering bridge started to come into my line of vision, the metal gleaming blindingly in the high sun. My feet ached, _Geniuses were not made for walking so much... _I grumbled mentally, fingering the two pokeballs clasped to my belt.

Once I was up to the bridge formed from solid gold, I leaned up against a pillar at the beginning. With little energy, I slid down for a break. "Wow, you just started this journey and you are already exhausted. That's just pathetic." A voice chuckled.

Tiredly, I rolled my neck to face the Kanto champion. My mind had so many words running through that I could have used against him. The only thing that slipped past my lips was, "Stalker."

Blue rolled his russet eyes and ran his fingers though his spiked orange hair. "I'm not stalking you. I am making sure you don't do something stupid."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I spoke, very offended.

"Look, I'm not calling you an idiot." He began in a very bored tone, "But cheating any further, will just cause more problems."

I locked gazes with the Kanto champion for a moment, not even a breath was taken. At the last moment I looked off into the Maya blue water that rushed below the bridge. "Well, it's pretty impossible to hack now. I don't have my laptop, that has all my programs on it..." Quickly, I fell into remorse. "It's been a week now... I wonder if my mom is worried. Scared. Maybe she's relieved now..."

"What are you talking about? Your mom was happy to see you off. Glad you received a pokemon."

I shot a glare back at up at him. I wasn't mad at him though, just upset. "That's not the mom I was talking about. I am talking about the mom in the world you pulled me from." I sighed, shuffling my knees against one another. I looked down at my feet, "It's not the feeling that I know she is crying because I am gone. It is this fear within me that says she is happy that I'm not there..."

Back then, I believed that my mother just saw me as a burden that was a walking reminder of my father. If I was gone, I assumed that she would be happy there was nothing holding onto the memory of the man she loved so much and lost so terribly.

My thinking had been interrupted by my white had being pulled down my face. "Come on Mopey. Stand up, we're having a pokemon battle."

I tipped my hat back up as I gazed up at the trainer in front of me. "You expect me, a trainer who has only obtained one badge so far from Brock, can beat the champion of Kanto?" Uncertainty was laced in my tone.

The teenager just smirked, "I bred Blastoise and received an egg. Then captured some other pokemon around here. You are gonna need a rival on this journey that acts as a level monitor for you." Blue stretched out his hand. I accepted it and rose back to my feet.

"What an honor, that a champion like you lowered yourself to _my_ level." I joked, rolling my dark eyes.

Blue played my game and pressed the top of my hat down, "It is an honor, ya' loser."

"Hey! I haven't lost yet! Actually, I am going to win! It's decided!" I declared, running back a good 10 feet. I pulled from my belt a pokeball and though it out. My eyes tracked it in the air and observed it burst open with a bright flash.

The tawny feathered pigeon burst out, a few cream feathers fluttering around as it flapped onto the bridge floor. The small Pidgey turned it's head to me and let out a small coo. I simply nodded towards where Blue stood with pokeball in hand. I rose an eyebrow and through out his own pokeball.

A Pidgeoto appeared, fluffing out it's head. Salmon feathers trailed down the back of it's head, while it's tinted beak was just partially open. "Now what were you saying about winning earlier?"

I just smiled condescendingly, masking the fact that I knew this was a downhill battle, "Let's just get this battle underway..."

Blue flicked his gingery hair, "Ladies first."

"Such a gentleman." I grumbled under my breath before giving an order to my pokemon, "Quick attack, Pidgey." I gave bluntly.

The small bird darted at the larger one. A smile pulled at my lips, _my calculations are spot on. The attack has perfect trajectory, there is no way it can't hit the Pidgeotto._

"Pidgeotto, use whirlwind then up." Blue commanded effortlessly. Without even a subtle hint of hesitation, his pokemon whipped out strong winds around itself. The strong gusts repelled my Pidgey, sending it back at me. The oponent's Pidgeotto shot higher into the air, "Follow with gust." The large pidgeotto's muscular wings dashed across one another, sending a powerful wind at my Pidgey. Once the attack hit, the tiny bird was tossed to my feet.

My pokemon's dusty feathers were pointing in all directions, making no effort to rise back to fight. The only think that moved was the light rise and fall of Pidgey's flank. Mortification washed over me followed by anger, "Cheater! You only have one attack a round! First me, then you, me again, then you again!" I started to shrill at Blue, returning Pidgey to it's capsule.

Blue did the same thing as I with his Pidgeotto, "This is the real world now. It ain't a simulator you play. All is fair in love an war. A pokemon battle is a war of it's own, so and send out your next pokemon and I will do the same."

I started to grumble to myself before sending out the only pokemon I had left mostly in silence. The pokeball casually rolled across the bridge flooring before popping open with some glitters floating around in the air. The Siamese green skinned pokemon popped out with a sea green bulb on it's back that matched it's patchy spots covering it's entire body. The grass types ruby eyes glinted as it looked between Blue and I. As if it had just realized it was sent into battle, the Bulbasaur jumped into a battle formation with limbs parted.

Maybe Blue wanted me to win or something, because the next pokemon he sent out was probably the worst. Or maybe it was, he wanted to teach me a lesson.

The Kanto champion though out his pokeball and a tiny powder blue turtle popped out. His hardy caramel shell shined in the sun rays. It batted it's violet eyes at us before readying itself for a battle.

"Bulbasaur, Leech Seed!" I instructed. The grass-starter understood, opening it's bulb up delicately. Like bullets from a gun, tiny seeds shot out from the opening and impacted the target. The seed instantly shot out lime green roots that wrapped around Squirtle in every angle. They lit up a slight red, draining away the pokemon's health and sending it to Bulbasaur.

Blue remained tranquil in the battle, "Now, Squirtle, use Tackle."

The tiny turtle nodded back at it's trainer and lunged out at my pokemon. I remained silent and let the attack come on, following as the Squritle sent my Bulbasaur a few feet back and onto it's back. "Bulbasaur, Vine whip." I directed the small poison-grass type. Though, it ignored my orders for the moment, preoccupied with attempting to roll off from it's bulb.

"Tackle once more."

Squritle again rammed into Bulbasaur, flying it back another foot.

"Again."

"Again."

"Again."

I just watched helplessly as my starter was kicked around like a soccer ball until Blue stopped the order. When it was all finished, all I could do was stare at where Bulbasaur lie. It was beaten and bruised. A purple-ish blue bruise was forming over it's right front leg knee. Yet, it struggled to rise just to fall back down. Every attempt the pokemon cried out in anguish, it's breathing deepening each time.

Sullenly, I merely bent down and returned the starter back to it's pokeball. "Yo loser."

I clicked both pokeballs back into their places on my waist, ignoring Blue. I started to make my way to the orange roofed pokemon center just a couple dozen feet away.

"Hey, I am talking to you, loser." I remained silent and pushed forward. That was up until Blue grabbed my shoulder to pull me back, a few of my hairs getting stuck between his fingers. "Stop being a sore loser and listen to me."

"What?" I breathed angrily.

He let out a breath of air, "Look, I'm not gonna rub salt in the wound here. But, if you are going to live in this universe now, you have to adjust to it's rules. Turns don't matter here, this is life. Not a game. Two, your pokemon are no longer just weapons for battle, they have life. Your pokemon have a spirit. You saw the difference between your Pidgey and Blubasaur, right? Pidgey just gave up, but Bulbasaur still wanted to fight. They are all different. They aren't that different from us humans, if you ever want to even think about winning against me... I would strengthen that 'bond' you have with your pokemon." Then he walked off somewhere. I really didn't care at the time and continued into the Pokemon Center where Nurse Joy took my pokemon.

"Just one moment..." She hushed with a bright smile. She placed my two pokeballs into the large rectangular machine behind the desk. She flicked a switch on the side panel, and like that the pokemon where healed. She craned her head to look back at me with a grin, "You're pokemon are all healed up! Please be more careful next time, we hope to see you again!" She beamed, handing my pokeballs back to me.

I gave her the type of res once she would want to hear before walking though the sliding doors of the Center. Out on Cerulean City's dirt streets I faced the back of a ranch style house. Off to my left was the metal walled gym and to my right was a long path leading to the route before.

Steadily I reached for a pokeball on my waist sash. I opened it up and saw the grass-poison starter pop out, blinking it's big crimson eyes at me. I knelt down to it's level and rubbed the Bubasaur's head, "I guess I never introduced myself yet, did I? My name is Leaf. I am going to be traveling around Kanto. Granted, I am new at this and am going to struggle often. Like what happen today facing Blue. So, let's start over, okay? I'll start working with you like were a team. That's what you wanted, wasn't it? Not a trainer, but a partner."

The Bulbasaur sat there, processing the entire thing. I spent her thinking time to examine the pokemon. I couldn't decipher if it was either more plant like or animal like. Though I soon took note on the long black lashes.

My Bulbasaur was female.

Before I could have taken any more observations, she leapt into my arms, "BULBA!" She cried out in happiness.

I smiled and held Bulbasaur close, "I'll take that as a yes!" Her and I laughed and played for a while. We challanged Misty later, once she had come back from Cerulean point.

Yet,that time I was learning more about Bulbasaur, I learned something about myself. I had used a bulbasuar that I hacked into Red's party when I was just a player. I always found it's typing less than useful. So I disliked it.

But I never hated bulbasaurs. I just never had a friendship with my pokemon quiet like this.

Well, granted, I have never been in the pokemon world before either.

This was just one lesson learned, many more were to come. I just didn't know how much they would change me, inside and out.


	5. The Hacker: Chapter 4

Not much happened after the battle on Nugget bridge, I captured a couple more Pokemon and Blue challenged me a couple times on the road... I guess this battling thing is is more difficult is more than a hand-held simulator.

The next note worthy incident that occurred was while I was on Cinnabar Island.

I wore a leaf green bikini tied behind my neck, with a oversized white shirt thown over for modesty's sake, as I lay sprawled out on a white and blue sun chair. My skin was covered in a greasy, reflective, coat of sweat. Supposedly, sweat was secreted to cool your body from the heat and protect from sun damage. But currently, I felt like my bodily fluid was a marinade on the ham I am. I still wore my cloud white fadora which now sagged in my face while my greasy hair was tied into a pony tail underneath.

The outdoors was the oven.

The salt water crashed against the crimson sanded shore, only a couple yards away. The sea breeze had barely soothed the feeling of being baked, a few droplets spritzed against my skin. The only reason I could tell that it wasn't sweat was because it was colder. The tropical vacation pamphlet that the ship woman handed out to deporting passengers became a paper hand fan.

Which really didn't do much but fan the steamy air back into my face.

The sunglasses I had bought were no help as they slipped down to the fat tip of my nose. I groaned inwardly and watched my pokemon frolic along the coastline. My Venusaur had dragged herself to the point that water was splooshing up into her ivy belly. Her ginormous white spotted flower was stretching out it's petals to take in the beating sun rays. Her face was relaxed, as with each push and pull of the waves she grew sleepier.

_There's someone who is able to flourish in this atmosphere..._ I huffed in a sort of envy watching my starter.

A companion I was greatly thankful for, Pidgeot, carelessly flapped around in his own area of water. With each bat of it's staggering 25 ft wingspan would kick up splashes of water that would glitter brightly in the daylight. His tawny feathers would sometimes flutter out and into the air, the water, Pidgeot's own face. The gold and pink streaks that ran from the top of his head to his tail base were tossed askew in the air as he used the ocean as a bird bath. Simple joy was all I could read from the giant birds expression.

I couldn't help but smile, _What a child he is..._

Off by the rocky cliffs beside the ocean, a pokemon I received from the dojo was sparing the boulders. Since, when I was playing as Red, I had chosen Hitmonlee as my prize from the dojo I was now gifted the final option left for defeating the dojo. Hitmonchan. His ruby boxing-glove fists would constantly create a banging sound, chips of rock flying around the vicinity.

Beside him was my not-so-lonely Marowak throwing her bone club into the rocks. Her ivory skull that her skin had grown around showed no sign of perspiration, but I could see though the eye holes sweat soaking her. She still held her ground, her latte skin gaining a red tint from the mineral dust that she seemed to be absorbing.

"Your going to get heat stroke if you keep doing that, Hitmonchan and Marowak!" I called out over his ruckus. "Come on over, I have some lemonade to cool you two down with!"

Marowak's head flug around with sparkling eyes that begged for rest, comical anime tears forming at them. Though, Hitmonchan never lost concentration with his never moving opponent, "Mon." He grunted shortly.

Marowak's face dropped slightly before pounding the wall again with her bone, "Wak." She echoed her training partner's tone.

I rolled my eyes as I snapped open a soda pop, the fizzy bubbles rising to the top at astronomical rates, "Fine fine. I'm make sure no one else drinks them." I let the caffeinated water trickle down my parched throat happily before pausing to take a breath. I stole another glance at my two pokemon training their butts off and smiled, _I wonder when Hitmonchan will notice how much admiration and affection Marowak has for him..._

Finally, swimming back and forth in the water was the only key that I had to winning at this fire-type gym in Cinnabar island. The pale blue skinned pokemon gracefully zigged and zagged around the water, his rubbery skin taking no sensation to the heat that sweltered around. His cone like fins on the back of his neck flatted down to his shoulder blades every time he went into the depths of the ocean. Like a show off, the eeveelution would occasionally leap from the water surface and like suspended animation, water would follow up his mermaid tail to his hind legs. The Vaporeon's black eyes glittered with a superiority complex.

_That little show off..._ I growled to myself with an irritated smile pulling at my plump lips. Ever since I got the pokemon as an Eevee, all he ever did was flaunt his attributes. He was also a very intellectual little guy. Which really pulled at my nerves seeing that he often rivaled my decisions.

Even though I had no way of comprehending pokemon words, I could get the gist of his meaning. I'd give him an order, then he would look back at me and give a little mew of discontent an second-guessing. Like he was saying, "Are you sure about that move?" With a raise of his brow following that!

I have no clue for how long I sat on that beach chair before I felt miserable enough in the heat to slip off my shirt. So, like a normal person, I rose from my chair and removed the white cover shirt that clunk to my sweat. As I chucked the drenched shirt to the sandy area across from my bag I heard the most obnoxious sound my ears have ever caught.

Wolf whistling.

My entire team froze. In sink, the six of us sent venomous glares to the carved in stairs from the cliff side to lead to the offside beach. Two teenage boys were waving with pink tinted cheeks. Then, one of them made the decision to speak, "Take it all off~!" He sang in a flirtatious tone.

I smiled sweetly and reached my right hand over my shoulder, making it seem I was reaching for the halter tie of my bikini top. Slowly I made gestures with my hand to catch Venusaur's attention. Once I heard the heavy sploshes of her facing me I jolted my hand forward into a accusing finger at the boys, "Leaf Storm!"

In perfect understanding, a flurry of razor sharp leaves surged forward toward the two boys, sand meters away was kicked up from the pressure the horizontal swirling column of leaves. I could see the boys from where I stood begin to make a rushed, clumsy and panicked climb back up to the main area of Cinnabar island.

Just in time too, the leaves exploded against the cliff side and left a dent roughly around 5 yards wide and 5 yards tall. In the dust that was still settling from the impact, I saw the most peculiar thing.

The dust stopped falling in one spot.

Alright that sounds weird, by that I mean the reddish volcanic made dust started to collect on a heap in mid-air. A few seconds later I made out a shape that it formed. A curved body leading out to a long snaking tail. The head of the heap had small curved cat like ears.

It didn't take a genius like me to figure out it was a hack I had brought in.

Mew.

The small creature in it's mirage form coughed loudly as the particles were sucked into it's lungs. I knew it had the ability to fly out of the plume, so I simply stood and watched. The being flew from the dust and shook off the bit clinging to it's body before going 100% cameo again.

I sighed, knowing my team was not yet ready to even pursue it. let alone capture.

For now, the goal is getting Red's pokemon away from him. Which is after I beat the pokemon league.

Wow, I have a more strenuous to-do-list than I imagined.

I let out a heavy sigh and reached to pull my hat down my face to sink mt fingers into my soggy mud hair. I glanced up, very bewildered to see a pink blur soaring off with my hat. "H-Hey! That's mine" I shouted, knowing that the Mew probably didn't give a rat's crap. Excuse me, Rattata's crap.

I turned over my shoulder, "Come on, Team! We are following that pokemon and getting my hat back!" I cried as I swooped up my bag. Quickly I pulled out my signature red skirt, threw it on and my white cover shit on and slipped on a cheep pair of plastic sandals I purchased on the way to this beach. As my pokemon gathered, Vaporeon and Pidgeot ran ahead as I returned the others.

Those two were my best trackers.

Once the other three were safe in their pokeballs I trudged after them, my sandals slapping against the sand every step of the way. My hair found a way to escape from it's long ponytail, leaving a streak behind me as I ran across the coast. My cheeks and nose were shifting to be the color of tomatoes from sunburn, the salty spray flying into the wind. More directly, into my caramel eyes, causing them to water somewhat.

I lost sight of my two partners but I was still able to follow the trail of flipper marks and golden feathers. After 13 minutes of jogging a great shadow loomed over the cliffs and a sect of the beach, making the area 15 degrees cooler.

Trust me, when I hit those shadows I felt like life was filling my lungs once again. Viewing up at what cast this life-saving shadow, I came to an abandon mansion the color of uncooked cookie doe with copper roofing that reflected light into angled directions. There were countless windows lining the front wall.

Almost every single one was broken.

I wandered up nearby cliff side steps to inspect this building further. There by the doors waited my trackers, "There you two are! Waiting for me?"

Pidgeot nodded chirpily.

And of course, Vaporeon shook his head before turning his nose up.

I laughed a bit and rubbed the back of my head before reading a sign beside this house: '_Pokemon Mansion. May all the lives lost in the mysterious fire rest in peace.'_

_Oh, yes. I remember running around this area when I played the game..._ I thought deeply as I recalled the months I actually looked though this sideshow of the game, _There are multiple books in here that speak of how some scientists attempted to clone Mew. The mew who stole my hat probably flew into here to mock the scientists who were in the building in the afterlife. When I go in there, I should pick up the books._

"STUPID LITTLE POKEMON! GET OUT OF MY WAY!" A dark voice crackled from inside followed by something very hard slamming into something relatively squishy.

"VULL!"

I clasped my hands over my ears as the poor pokemon screamed in agony. The beating continued from within with more painful cries. My body started to tremble from the small creatures wails, but I couldn't move.

I glanced over to my water-type, "Vaporeon! Screech!"

The yellow fins of the pokemon fell as he gave me an, "Are you an idiot?" look. I just shot him back a glare and he obeyed, letting out a glass shattering cry that doubled the tortured pokemon's inside. A few of the non-broken windows of the mansion fractured.

Once Vaporeon was finished, the island was silent.

I took a hold of the opportunity and rushed into the mansion to see waiting at the doorstep was a beaten Vulpix. Her fur was matted and the right ear was torn down to the end of it. Across the fox's muzzle was a long scar. Vulpix's gingery hairs were covered in dirt and dust from rolling around on the floors of the mansion. Even though we were indoors, the heat was just compressed further. This made the house 30 degrees hotter than it was in the direct sunlight, the Vulpix in poor condition began to reek of rot from the injuries festering in the heat. Even if it had just resived them.

Footsteps escaped the scene farther into the building.

I shot a stare at Pidgeot who knew what to do. Quickly, unflourishing his wings, he took off down the halls toward where the suspect had fled. I looked back down at the five tailed pokemon to notice my hat was sitting beside it.

I made the assumption that the man had gotten a hold of it chasing Mew also. Then Mew ditched the hat here to shake the violent person off. He took the hat, very angrily and was on his way out when he stumbled upon this Vulpix which he inevitably took is rage out on.

I flipped the hat back to where it belongs, on my head, before cradling the firefox in my arms. Turning down to Vaporeon, I gave a small girn, "Go contact the authorities. Take them to the Pokemon Center. Pidgeot already knows to take the Culprit there if he finds the man." I stated calmly before racing out of the mansion.

More stuff happened, I got the Vulpix some medical attention, Pidgeot caught the abuser, Vaporeon dragged the authorities to the center. I waited for the fire type to be treated and when she finally came out I rushed to see the Vulpix.

The small auburn fox was curled up with her six tails swooshing around her with a small muzzle resting atop them. Vulpix's penny eyes were grazed over my her dark orange bangs, once her gaze locked onto me she hid further into her tails.

I gave a small closed-mouth smile and blinked, "Hey, sweetie. You seem better..." I hushed comfortingly. Slowly, I knelt beside the pokemon's bed. "I just have a couple questions. Just nod or shake your head to answer. Was that man your trainer? Was he abusing you?"

Vulpix's gaze slipped down to the mattress at her paws, eyes glinting with emotional turmoil.

I was right.

Gingerly, I stroked her back. She flinched at my contact and pulled away from me, fear raised with her hackles. I simpered to her, "I won't hurt you I promise."

Her head cocked to a side, like she was asking, "You promise?"

I nodded, seeing all the permanent scars. Her ear will be forever torn, the scratch on her nose wont fade for years. How much had that poor pokemon suffered? "You're pretty far from home. I can escort you back to Route 8, where your family and friends probably are."

Her head shook ferociously, the curls of fur between her cupped ears rustling.

"Why not?" I rose an eyebrow.

Both of her front mud-booted paws were placed onto my hand, her eyes just pleading not to go.

"Well if not, what are you going to do? I can't leave you alone, stranded on this island."

She paused for a moment to ponder the options. Suddenly, she glanced down at the empty sixth spot on my belt and barked.

From my bag I shuffled out a spare pokeball, "You want to come along with us?"

She nodded feverishly.

I shrugged and tapped the pokeball onto her forehead and in three clicks, she was captured.

_Yet another out of game event... Capturing a pokemon without a battle or receiving one. This game feels so different..._ I thought, sighing to myself as I tried to play around with all the numbers and calculations. For the first time in my life, it wasn't adding up. I used to be able to know what someone was going to say, what was going to happen based on the most simple of things. Now, those simple things have turned into complex equations that even when solved right, the answer does not equal the same as the unfolding event.

Life used to be just a bunch of numbers and variables.

Now in a game that is programmed from that, it's not equating.

Confusion was a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. And it turned into fear of the unknown.


	6. The Hacker: Chapter 5

Once I stepped onto the lush green land, the jade blades of grass skimmed the of my ankles which were covered by their usual simply blue leg warmers. The wind breathed a cool and soft breeze across my skin and ran it's invisible fingers though my lengthening hair. I twisted my neck around to face the ocean where my aqua tinted Vaporeon stretched out his, presumably, sore limbs. The high dandelion sun was cast upon the silvery saltwater sea, making it glitter like magic was all around.

"Vayy?" My eeveelution questioned with exhaustion pulling at his facial muscles. His obsidian eyes were simply begging to take a long rest. He had just surfed me across the large gap of water between Cinnibar Island and my- quote on quote- "hometown" of Pallet. Consequently before that, we had faced off with pyromaster and Gym Leader, Blaine. I wouldn't blame my little Vaporeon to just collapse where he shakily positioned himself.

I learned that the pokemon center just restores a pokemon's health, but like any other creature, stamina had to be built and for that attribute to be replenished the being needs to sleep. I smiled to my Vaporeon, "Just a moment, hun." I dove my hand into my lemon shoulder bag, biting my lower lip as my eyebrows brushed one another like two caterpillars(I mean Caterpie) meeting on the same Leaf. "Just... Let me find your poke.. ball..."

One thing I had never gotten used to was how to keep track of all my pokeballs and which pokemon are inside of. Personally, I had rather keep my pokemon outside of their capsules so I just order them... The funniest thing happened when I was facing Blaine at the Gym back in Cinnabar... I was gearing up to start off with Pidgeot and instead I threw out Venusaur.

So after that, I went out and purchased colorful letter stickers labeled with the beginning of their names with the colors of their types!

A forest green V with a fuchsia lining for Venusaur.

An alice blue P with a smoky outline for Pidgeot.

A dusted brown M for Marowak

A chocolate brown H for Hitmonchan (May I add, Marowak seemed elated that their colors were so close)

Vulpix had a crimson red V.

Finally, as I balanced five pokeballs on one crook of my arm, I grappled my fingers around the final pokeball that sat at the very bottom of the bag. Quick enough, I whipped out a red and white pokeball with a sea blue V pasted on the center button.

I kindly returned my water type with a couple kind words before a low chuckle escaped my lips. Soon it snowballed into uproarious laughter. Half my pokemon had their names beginning with V. Now if I had a Voltorb, Venmoth, and a Vileplume I would have a team of V's.

Well, that hadn't been the real reason I was laughing. That was the source of the chuckle.

No, no. The next sight was twenty times more... entertaining.

Tens of girls swarmed around an average two-story home in the upper left corner of the town. Many of the girls had sheet straight bleached hair that slithered down to their waist-lines. Their trending outfits were not-so-flattering spaghetti straps or air-circulation-being-cut-off tube tops with the jean shorts with such disgraceful lengths, I would consider them panties. They shrieked in such high frequencies I was actually a tad afraid that the house's windows would shatter.

"BLUUUUUE!"

"I LOVE YOU!"

"I WANT YOUR HAIR!"

"CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH CHAMPION BLUE?!"

"I WANT A PHOTO WITH YOU!"

"KISS ME!"

I couldn't help my self. I ran as fast as my feet would carry me and I wedged into the crowd. Standing my ground I found a brief gap between the woman and positioned my feet a good 52 inches from one another and cuffed my mouth to shout, "OH MY GOD! BLUE! I HAVE 7 BADGES NOW! ONE MORE BEFORE I BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF YOU!"

Now, when I really thought through the entire instance... I realized what a regretful choice I had made.

The- um... What is like a lion... The persian women turned to me, their soulless eyes glowing a terrifying red light as they all growled. Their prey was being threatened by yet another predator. A predator with very different intentions.

One girl with electric blue eyes stepped up, black hipster glasses sat on the bridge of her nose as her mouth was slightly open. Her full lips were covered in a light and glittering gloss as her pearls of teeth gnawed at them, "Who the _hell_ are you?"

I smiled sweetly, "My name is Leaf Green! Nice to meet you." I extended my hand out to her thin one.

I just received a sneer, "Star." She hissed her name to me, "I'm more civilized than these rabid fangirls. But you, you are below even them." I felt her false and stone nails rake through my hair before she knotted it into her fist, "You are a dirty low life. To think _you_ could ever reach Blue's level! You must be kidding me! You dirty little peasant!" Her warm spit was shot between my eyes, slowly it dripped down my nose. Like a pack of Arcanine, the fangirls circled me.

I had become their new opponent.

A smile stayed painted on my face as I screamed in terror within.

The door behind us suddenly flew open and the ginger I wish I never met strided out with another woman at his side. Though, this one was different. Her amber hair graciously swayed just by her shoulders while her caramel eyes swirled with a calmness. Only a couple years older than me I would have guessed. She smiled at me warmly, "Oh Leaf! Your visiting home before going off to your 8th gym battle? It's so nice to see you! Ever since father died, mom taking you away, leaving Blue and I with our grandfather, professor oak... Oh, it's been just been too long!" The strange lady wrapped her arms around me gently. Her mouth brushed my ear's rim, _"Play along with this. I'm getting you out of here..."_ her voice whispered briskly as the tone sunk into a darkness.

Cautiously, she ushered me into the house. I turned to look over my shoulder, watching Blue flip his spiky hair arrogantly. His annoying smirk painted perfectly on his face with his thin lips taunting the fans. "Ladies, ladies. Settle down, I'll do everything you need of me~!" He winked flirtatiously at the women, who half fainted dramatically. I rolled my eyes as the lady shut the door.

I turned my head to face the interior of the room. It was almost exactly like the house I had spawned into this world in. The floor was made up of the same maple paneling, tropical palm house plants in the corners rested with leaves spayed out to drink in the sun that would pour in from the windows.

I oddly began to mumble to myself as I stared at a bookcase and Clefable painting where, in my house, was a staircase. "It's odd... From the outside it's a two-story house then... On the inside it's a single floor."

"We do have a second floor and a basement. We just live in a strangely built house." The ginger girl said, snapping me from my thoughts. I turned to her in shock, oblivious to the fact that she was there. Her caramel eyes almost looked like little gems as she smiled curtly to me, "We really haven't met have we! My brother has told me about you, Leaf Green! My name is Daisy Oak, Blue's older sister."

I laughed to myself mentally, because it had completely escaped my mind that Blue had a sister. _And I thought they were lovers when she said "we"._ I scratched the back of my head and gave her a nervous grin, "Nice to meet you... Um..."

"Come, sit at the table. I'll prepare you some tea, what would you like?" She asked, obviously able to sense the wound up nerves aura I was practically oozing. She motioned her hand towards the table where I casually walked over to and pulled up a wooden chair.

I thought for a moment before giving Daisy a proper answer, " Do you have Chamomile?" I responded to the question with yet another question.

The woman, who after further examination was roughly around 20 years old, giggled. Her right hand curled to slightly cover her mouth as her eyes shut in amusement, "Why yes we do. I'll whip you up some." She replied chirpily. From the honey-shaded cupboards above the oven she opened up, Daisy pulled down a box of tea patterned with white flowers and monarchs.

The two of us waited cotton quiet as the tea boiled on the stove. It only took a couple minutes before the steam jet out of the iron teapot spout, crying out like trains about to deport the station. Daisy swiftly picked up the pot with a brown hot pad to grasp the handle before pouring the liquid into a pair of crystal teacups under small plates. She turned the stove off and placed the tea pot on the counter edge before walking over to the table with a blue checkered picnic blanket as a table sheet.

Daisy placed my tea in front of me, the crystal clanking on the table gracefully followed by her taking her own seat across from where I observed. My eyes though soon were entranced by my cup of tea, it looked as if Daisy had put amber stones and tree sap in my cup and melted it into a liquid with a eureka lemon slice was resting beside the cup. The ribbon of steam curled up towards the ceiling but vapored away less than a foot there. I picked up the lemon and spritzed in a couple beads of it, watching the cold, acidic juice beat against the hot agent. When I had just begun to sip at my chamomile tea, a voice picked up, "Did you know that Chamomile tea is commonly advertised with Daisies? Funny. That's why I loved it as a kid. It was like it was made for me!"

The tea started to burn my tongue and I began to fan it with my open hand. Between fans I answered Daisy, "Yes. It is advertised with common white daisies mostly because chamomile tea is made from several daisy-_like_ plants. I like it because my mother always made me drink it when I had insomnia as a kid."

The woman looked at me for a minute, blinking several times, "Oh! That's why you knew it! I nearly forgot that Blue had told me you were crazy intelligent... I.Q. of... 170?"

"172. But close enough."

"Wow! Well, how do you like your pokemon journey so far?"

And after that we spoke from that midday time all to the night, the kitchen light keeping the room illuminated as the two of us laughed. She retold me stories of when she took her pokemon journey and I shared my tales of what I experienced. I was very shocked to even find that she went out on her own for once. For about a year and a half Blue was raised by professor Oak while she was gone.

Daisy looked out the window beside the kitchen wearily, "My, the stars are smiling at us! It must be at least midnight..." She looked back at me and smiled sweetly, "Hey, you don't have to go home. You can stay here for tonight. I don't have a spare bed in my room but you can sleep in Blue's chambers for tonight."

I rose an eyebrow at her for my reply.

She waved at my dismissively and laughed, "No, no! It's okay. Blue doesn't stay overnight here usually. Most of the time he visits gramps and me before taking off back to his champion spot in the Pokemon League. Plus, he hasn't come back since he went out with those fangirls got a hold of him."

I shrugged, "Alright." after that, Daisy lead me to the bookcase and pushed it all to the end of the corner, revealing a swirling staircase. It went down and upstairs. Daisy came up from behind and patted my shoulder, "Blue's room is the basement and mine is the second floor. See you in the morning." With that she walked up the winding staircase.

I was alone.

Like usual.

I then followed the steps to a dark room. Flicking on the switch, it was like any other average room. Covered in clothes. I made my way around the mountains of cloth to see photos on the walls. Most of them were of him when he was younger with another boy. The other one in the picture had dark hair and relaxed eyes. It must have been Red as a child, _So they were friends before rivals it seems..._ I thought before a bed-frame caught the corner of my eye. I turned to see a mattress with dark blue sheets sprawled out in all which ways on a wooden bed framing.

The idea of a bed gave me a waft of overwhelming tiredness, my eyes sagged down like someone was putting coins on my eyelids. I slid my hat from my head and threw my bag to the ground beside the bed. My body crumpled onto the mattress and kicked the sheets over my waist. My thoughts became like Muk and dissolved into a tired and well-needed sleep.

_Shhheeeek... Russsstle... Crack_

My eyes fluttered open as the strange sounds pulled me from my slumber. I jolted up as fast as I could, ribbons of my dark chocolate hair flew all around the air from my sudden movement. I tracked the room in fear of what lie in the shadows of the room. Though everything was like a blur, my eyes still fogged in the urge to lie back down and sleep.

In the middle of it sat a ginger boy holding a paper towel up to his nose, but the white of the towel was turning a ruby red as it covered the nostril area, "Blue...? Are you okay?" I glanced around, just realizing I was still in his room, "Oh, um... Sorry. Daisy said I could sleep here since you probably wouldn't stay here... Did one of those fangirls punch you in the nose when they figured out your real personality?" All my words came out completely slurred, tiredness still fabricated into my mind like cobwebs.

Blue sniffed, pulling the napkin away from his face, "You are half-awake, Leaf. Go back to sleep before either of us do something we'll regret. I'll sleep on the floor tonight, it's no big deal."

I shook my head, even though it felt like a lead weight moving side to side, "No. It's your house. I can just walk over to mine, it's not that far. I know you hate me with a passion." I muttered, hastily standing to my feet.

That was a mistake.

My balance teetered for what felt like hours but probably was only a second and a half before my foot slipped on a silk shirt on the floor. My shoulder leaned towards the ground I was falling to, my hair was a banner fluttering behind me. I only saw the floor I was about to collide into, fear was too far away feel in my half-awake state. But I did manage to hear scrambling of clothes ahead of me, inches before my nose could brush the floor two arms wrapped around my body and I was pulled up, my face buried into broad shoulder. A hot breath whispered into my ear kindly, "I told you, you'd do something you'd regret...Be careful."

I craned my head upwards to see Blue's face, his rust eyes tiredly looking down at me. His cocky smirk was taken place by a seldom expression. It was that look that look a quiet child would give when they found something they absolutely loved in the store, but without even asking their parents, knew they could never have it.

My eye lids became heavy once more, the exhaustion of the past day still pulling at me. My muscles became gelatin as I melted in Blue's arm to the sleep I was in once before. My face falling into the teenager's chest.

When I woke up the next morning, I was in Blue's bed tucked in with the covers at my chin.

And I was alone.


	7. The Hacker: Chapter 6

I wiped way the sweat that gathered on my brow, my dark hair beginning to clot into groups as I breathed heavily. My hands were trembling as I held the red and capsule in my warm hand. I was currently rested up against a wall leading to the chamion's chambers. I have had four straight battles of immense difficulty with no nurse in sight to tend to my team's wounds. Even though all I did was stand there and direct them, I had to come up with on-the-spot strategies and every time my team was attacked, I felt the pain they did.

Every battle I shook from the nerves I was bundling up.

If I lost a battle, it was all over. I would have to re-start. That would have been horrific.

Re-fighting gyms were tough enough... Dear G- Arceus I can only remember the feeling of how much I wanted my laptop then. Hacking to level 100 was so much simpler.

The small pokeball on my waist trembled at the very slightest amount. I glanced down at the pokemon sitting in the five other capsules, all of them covered in scratches and bruises forming here and there. I gnawed at my plump lower lip before looking towards the door I waited in front of.

It was a grand pair of golden doors with metallic ornate trimming around it, the handles were maize kingdra statuettes with their snouts pressing into the door. Their curling tails looked as if they were going to push off their spots any moment. Inscribed at the plate above the doors read: "Champion's Chamber"

Looking back at the pokeball that rested in my hand, wrist aching with an overcoming soreness. The ivy and plum V stuck to the rosy half began to curl at the corners, wearing away on the edges. Slowly, I lifted my arm that held the pokeball carefully and let the pokemon out.

Venusaur sprouted out in a glare of brutal white light, her french rose petals drooped with exhaustion with a rip running up here or there. Beneath her crimson eyes were dark circles, hinting at how tired she was. A smile yet came to her drooping face as her eyes fixated themselves on me, "Sauuur..." She moaned a sort of greeting. With a great step of her right leg, she teetered towards me. But her tree-trunk teel legs buckled underneath the starters weight. Dark violet bruises forming at the knee. Her eyes cringed in pain and her voice cracked as she croaked.

I immediately ran over to her, despite my weariness, Venusaur's exhaustion was like a towering mountain above me, the shadow of her strength striking fear into my heart. My arms grappled around her side in any assistance to keep her up. My tennis shoes slipped and slid against the smooth steel flooring that glistened an occasional blue.

At some point, the both of us just collapsed, breathing like a pair of runners after a marathon. A small smirk tugged at my lips before I burst into laughter. I had to admit, our little scene there was amusing. The palms of my hands clapsed around my face as I continued giggling.

It was funny. I started out hating my starter I received in this world. Now I am scrambling on my last leg to keep her standing.

"What's with all the giggles?" A voice sneered. I swung my head round, moist chocolate locks smacking to the partner I lied against. Blue was erected in the golden gateway, his arm pressed against a single open door as he smirked down at me. His ginger hair flipping into his caramel eyes that seemed endless for a brief moment. His black collared shirt seemed somewhat looser than usual, part of his right shoulder proudly bearing his peach skin. The glittering lights from the room he towered in front of lit up his figure and pushed past to strike me with it's illumination.

I simply rose my shoulder to quickly drop them in a form of saying, "Eh... I really don't know." without a sound escaping my mouth.

He scoffed and stared at the room behind, before fingering his almost bronze hair between his thumb and pointer finger, "Geez..." He smiled with some annoyance. He rolled his head around to stare back at me. His expression suddenly became softer, calmer. More collected. "Well, looks like you made it to the Champion's chambers. Ready for your battle, Leaf Green?" He held his breath before whispering my full name with an airy tone. He hesitated to take a step forward towards I, his large hand opened towards where I rested in an offer up.

I smiled up at him and grasped his hand with both of mine, and like a gentleman he pulled me to my feet. But, bizarrely, as I came up he wrapped me into his arms to the point I felt the two of us had become entwined. "Blue...?" I questioned slowly. Quickly following, the champion pushed me away roughly that I fell back into Venusaur who was just raising. I attempted to give him a narrow glare of my eyes, just to see him already giving his back to me, striding back into the room. I wanted to protest angrily, but what's the use in it. He would have just reply with some stupid remark.

So I pursued on, hobbling on with Venusaur beside me. Once we entered the room, it was very different from the game. The entire room was like... A very clean prison cell. The walls and floors were made of a stainless steel, no windows in sight. A few light fixtures hung down from the ceiling to make the room all but dim. In the back corner of the room there was a single bed with messed up teal covers with a machine beside it. The machine I have seen constantly in pokemon centers, used to restore a pokemon's health.

When I thought about it, it made sense for a champion to have that in their room. Constant challengers and all.

In the very center of the room, painted on the smooth floors were chalk white lines, like you'd see at a baseball diamond, in the perfect formation of a battle field. Blue casually strided to his box and faced me with an odd expression. His eyes were relaxed, but within it was like a wall was blocking me from seeing further. His thin creamy lips were pulled into a smolder as his right palm rested on his hip.

_I've seen him use that look before._ I mused before facing away, pulling out a hyper potion. _Yes... He used that face with those girls back in pallet 34 days ago._ The fuchsia colored handle stung my eyes somewhat as I pulled back on it's handle. From the nozzle, a greyish spray shot out and fanned its particles around against Venusaur's grotesque bruise on her knee cap. "Sauuuur..." She moaned with a sharp edge to her tone as the medicinal alcohols in the spray gave her pain for a brief second before she released a heavy, earthy scented breath.

She had relaxed now.

A voice clearing itself reverberated on the metal walls, "Hey, if you want..." My head snapped around to see Blue focusing on me. His smoldering igniting to a spark, "I'll let you use my personal healing machine. I don't usually let challengers use that but your spe-"

"Yeah, yeah. No." I said, continuing to heal my team, switching them out one by one. "I know you are just testing if I will cheat. Because healing my pokemon with a pokemon center machine is against the rules. I have to rely on my own supplies for this challenge. Believe it or not, my brain_ does_ function." I finished, stroking the final pokemon I had sent out. The aubrun fur of Vulpix was silky smooth, the colors shining in the light as her onyx eyes blinked and glittered at me with joy.

"Vulll?" She inquired excitably.

I laughed and cuffed her one ear with my hand, "I'm taking a wild guess that you want to battle first?"

Her fox-like mouth curled into a grin as she leapt about, "PIX! PIX!" Her inflection was one of a chipper excitement.

"Alright then! Let's get to the battle field." I instructed as I stood, brushing off my ruby skirt. My pokemon and I took our positions in the arena as I looked over at Blue. His faces seemed crooked.

"Uh... Yeah... I was testing you." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, muttering to himself words I would never be able to make out from the 10 meters I was from him. "You ready now, Leaf?"

I nodded, giving a possibly overconfident glance to my fire type. Her six tails swayed back and forth at me as her paws were spread on the floor, ready for a battle. The champion rolled is right arm which held a pokeball. His arm flew forward as if he were a pitcher throwing the baseball and the object exploded in midair.

Tawny feathers flew about the battle field as a bird's high crowing filled the air. As the pokeball retracted to the trainer, a Pidgeot was left approximately 2.4 meters away from my Vulpix. It's gold and pink feathers that sprouted from the rim of it's golden beak seemed to lie past it's sunset tail-feathers. The over-grown pidgon's eyes shimmered with battle wisdom and a hint of cockiness it seemed to share with it's trainer. Blue simply motioned to me with his lands, offering me the first move.

I clenched my left fist while the open hand rolled my black wrist band, "Fine. Vulpix, use Fire Spin!" I commanded with authority in my voice. The fire fox silently took the order and took a deep breath, her jaw slowly drawing open as the flames of the sun swirled at the brim of her mouth.

"Dodge it!" Blue called out to his pokemon, but it was already too late. Vulpix released her flames which swirled and unraveled like a slinky down the steps, springing out at the bird. Pidgeot attempted to fly up, but once the dancing fire struck the ground it shot up in a column of fire and engulfed it. It's feathers singed and the heat baked it's skin. I continued to scan the field, quickly realizing our opponent was male.

I placed both my hands behind my head, "Now, Skull Bash!" I laughed, cutting off Blue from his next attack. Earlier during the adventure, found the TM Skull bash and decided to teach it to the little fire bugger. Vulpix curled over herself, the furry tails starting to sparkle as her paws closed into one another.

Suddenly, her tails flew out as her spine straightened, Vulpix's dark eyes glinted with determination. For a nanosecond, her paws her on the ground and her surging power shot a visible energy up into the air before she took off head first. She seemed as if she were flying as Vulpix shot across the air, into the swirling pillar of fire that trapped Pidgeot. The fox's head pointed to slam into the bird's open stomach, little specks of fire thrown here and there.

There was no way it could have missed.

"Pidgeot use Wing Attack!"

The bird's cloak-like wing suddenly lashed out around itself as a shield, lighting up a dim white. Right before Vulpix's impact, he flung out his airfoil and bashes Vulpix away. She tumbled in mid air before skidding across the steel floors, the fox's claws digging into it with ringing screeches.

Per chance, she was using her own tactic not just to slow her spin because the sounds that wanted to murder my ears, had the same intent for our opponent. Our turns that the Fire Spin lasted was up and as Pidgeot fell from the noise, the ballet ribbons of fire collapsed around him. The flames sunk in as the bird cried out, "DGEOOOOOOOT!" He shrilled as Vulpix staggered to her feet.

I first thought we had an advantage, but I was sorely wrong.

My pokemon swayed, the attack she had taken and the recoil of the failed Skull Bash sunk in while her eyes twinged. Crashing like a meteor into the cold floors musn't have been any help either.

The tables suddenly turned as Blue spoke next, "Now, Pidgeot! Use Sky Attack!"

Like a phoenix, the normal-flying type pokemon rose from the smoldering ashes around him, a harsh light overwhelming Pidgeot. I had no time to even take a breath before the bird shot to the roof of the room, his wings seeming to keep absorbing a blue light.

The Pidgeot dove at us as a hawk for a mouse, speed of the winds at his back. "Flamethrower!" Was all I could flounder to speak. Vulpix angled her furry head up with the hot flames sparking at her muzzle, it was a race against time as her flames propelled up just as Pidgeot fell like bomb. The flames exploded and swallowed up the two pokemon in it's typhoon.

I threw both my arms up as a shield when the flames came at me, brushing my bare skin with it's lapping heat. My eyes trying to open so I could look at the field, in the blaze, I saw a quick flash of light, something I couldn't identify. It was gone before my mind could even register it. I cringed as the last waves of flames flooded around, dying out into embers on the ground.

"Vulpix!" The fox was on the ground, her fur smoking into the air as her flank rose and sunk erratically. Her limbs stayed motionless as I saw the long gash on her back, fur up turned and absent as a dark red liquid oozed out.

Pidgeot was thrown askew on the ground less than a meter away, his feathers were ruffled like the ones found on a hatching's. His beak painted with crimson at the tips. Pidgeot pressed both his wings against the ground in attempt to get up, but the dark charcoal burns that ran up in flame patterns cross his back caused him too much agony and he threw himself back to the floors in defeat.

Blue and I returned our pokemon, myself shooting a worried glance at Vulpix before attaching her to my belt. "Hey... She'll be okay." A voice said from across the room. Blue could read my expression like a book, "Once the battle is done we will heal Vulpix. But I can't do anything now." He explained, tossing out an Alakazam.

The psychic type's chiffon mustache draped down to the floor while the silver spoons in his three fingered hands. Mocha colored armor seemed to be placed here and there on the pokemon, though it was just part of the creature.

I smiled somewhat, "Hey, I know Vulpix is strong. She probably shouldn't have been able to win that battle. She got a tie. That was good." I ran my fingers over the pokeballs and pulled out the one with the light P taped to the cap.

As the pokeball was tossed into the air, my own Pidgeot burst out. He swung head around in all directions to ruffle his feathers, his wings fluttering out as he cooed cheerfully, "Piiiiiiidd~!" He didn't even seem to acknowledge his opponent as he looked back at me with a naive joy in his closed eyes. His beak was pulled open slightly in a smile of sorts.

I snorted a laugh before motioning with my hand towards the battle, "Might want to pay attention to the field, hun."

Acting upon my words, Pidgeot obediently snapped his head to the rival. His wings suddenly pulled back to puff out his peachy feathered chest, his demeanor suddenly becoming strong and dominant.

"Alakazam, Psychic on that bird!"

Alakazam's arms rolled back before shooting them forward, his spoons outlined in a violet light. It soon was mirrored around Pidgeot, lifting him high into the air. The psy powers condensed in the one spot, suffocating Pidgeot. His wings were forcibly spread out while legs pulled down towards the ground. His long trailing feathers were frayed out above him as he choked. Like a doll, the Alakazam threw Pidgeot into the four walls of the room, bashed him into the ceiling before carelessly slamming him into the ground with a echoing crackle.

Despite being treated like a toy of a toddler having a tantrum, Pidgeot still forced himself up. He rattled his head around before rolling his wings back to loosen his aching muscles. His left eye began to swell shut, but that gave my pokemon no pause.

"Thank you..." I hushed to him before snapping back to composure, "Alright, Razor Wind! And keep moving! Make sure Alakazam doesn't hit you!" I commanded with the dramatic flare of throwing my arm out to point at the psychic type with an upside down star for a head, whose right ear twitched at his name.

Winds were drawn into the room as his battered wings fluttered like my heart beat, they were in perfect sync to tell the truth. One of his golden feathers flew out and fluttered in between my eyes, I snatched it up and watched Pidgeot store up the power. White gusts began to form a twirling tower around the large bird, the rhythms of the winds power leaked out and blew my hair around the air.

I observed as Blue scraped his thumbnail against his pointer finger, an subtle sign of stress. "Psybeam!" He simply called out to his pokemon, whose mustache fluttered around wildly. The pokemon grunted and threw up a single spoon held horizontally. Purple, pink and pinking blue spiralled around his hand before coming out in an unorganized array of raw psychic energy at the growing tower of winds.

They were, indubitably, bounced off like platters tossed off at a drunkards party, fizzling away into the steels of the chamber. Pidgeot had finally taken the time he needed, he let his body go and spin with the ballad of the winds before throwing both his wings back.

Everything froze for a moment, winds were tossed back though it was like a dancer ready to give their finale. Or maybe, it was the brief calm before the hurricane crashes with full force. His head curled down as the airfoils gave their final bat, winds like swords zoomed at Alakazam and tossed him backwards. Cuts from the inivible force raged across the pokemon's body as he called out, "ZAM!"

"Now Quick Attack! Finish this!" I smirked, knowing there was no way that victory wasn't in my grasp for this round.

As Pidgeot furled his feathers confidently, he rose higher into the rooms space before steaking foward, a blur to the eye.

Blue's face stayed calm, but the constant tapping of his toe and his finger twitches differed. "Recover! Then Psybeam!" He said, his voice losing it's support.

Golden orbs meterialized around Alakazam, both arms outstretched downward as his long facial hairs stood on end. The metallic energy being pulled into the pokemon as his scars closed with no mark left to be seen or felt.

But it was already too late I thought.

Pidgeot was already advancing at the speed of sound towards the pokemon. My smirk though crumbled away as Alakazam's golden orbs vanished, his arm shot up and gave the horizontal spoon the power of mind. The unquardinated discs surged into one another as they flew at direct impact with Pidgeot as he was less than 14 inches away from stealing the win. Smoke erupted from the imact and sent my pokemon away. The beautiful bird was now mangled as he was thrown like a skipping stone across the battle field. Each time, he fell onto a new angle before crashing into the back wall behind me with an echoing bash. Silence was all that was left in the room.

I couldn't even turn around.

I was prettified by the instance that just unraveled. _I-It should have made it..._ I stuttered to myself as my winding hair rested from the mess of air that had finally settled with the defeat of Pidgeot. _It didn't even leave a mark on Alakazam..._ My throat to started to close up as I began to over think further,_ I have already lost so much to Blue already... Was this battle a mistake? I could just- No... This is no longer a game where if I lose I could just pound the power button in frustration and restart. This... This is life. And I can't give up even when two are down... I have four more right? And... They are depending on me._

"Piiid..." I heard the fading croak of a bird from behind. I let out a small breath before turning to Pidgeot with a simper.

I held his pokeball up and spoke softly, "You were strong and brave... That's... All I asked of you. Good job." I hushed before returning the pokemon back. Again, my fingers skimmed over the line of prepared pokemon, my mind raced with insignificant thoughts of who goes next.

When the decision was made, I tossed out the pokeball and let Marowak bust out. She looked at her opponent, who cocked his head curiously, and swung her ivory bone around. Her feet spread wide, her dark tail flicked once signaling to me she was ready.

I rolled both my shoulders back, puffing my chest out in pride. Hiding the fact I was going insane at the thought of the first pokemon I captured on my own was defeated... Thinking about that time now, it makes me laugh at how close I had grown to this world in that short time.

Many more months would pass before I truly realize it.

I fixed my gaze at the Alakazam, mulling over what attacks would be good. "There is that new one but... This needs the move..." I whispered before focusing on Marowak, "Alright. Use... FISSURE!" I called out, hiding my desperation for the attack to land.

Marowwak shot both her nubby arms up and twisted her forever bone in her hands like the blades of a helicopter taking off. The baton-twirling Marowak narrowed her beta red eyes before grasping the bone in one hand, it trembled with power all around before she clubbed it into the ground. The sheer force in the attack shot her lower half into the air, but she clung to the bone which had dove far into the metal floors. Earth that rested beneath us became upturned and spit the metal with a great screech. The ground opened up and moved like a lightning bolt across the ground to Alakazam.

Blue was stunned motionless as he watched perilously.

Once the opening eath reached the feet of Alakazam, great rocks shot around and closed around the psychic type, crushing his bones. "KAAAAAAA..." He sharply breathed as the rocks fell back to the ground, releasing Alakazam from is crushing prison. He fell to the ground face first, his only movment was the low and shallow breaths I saw from his back.

He was done.

Blue soundlessly recalled his pokemon before speaking to me, "Wow... Who knew your pokemon knew such an advance move like that." He smirked to me, obvious that he underestimated Marowak as he sent out his next pokemon whose overly fluffy mane glittered. It's soot stripes on it's tangalo fur giving it a prowess on the battle field as his pearly fangs bore over his curling lips. "Arcanine! While Marowak rests, use Take Down!"

He was right, Marowak was taking her breaths by the gallon, her eyes drooping but both her shoulders were raised close to where ears would usually be. The giant glorified dog charged at her, his white mane swaying with each running paw step. He rammed into her with monumentous power that Mawowak was bounced into the open space above, her limbs flailing around in a panic.

I wound't expect a ground type to like flying in the air.

As she came down I knew what to do, "Bonemerang!" I ordered. Obidently, the bone keeper understood and threw out her bone with a sway of her arm. The smooth bone spun though the air with a _whoo-whoo-whoo_ sound vibrating the air molocules around. The object seemed to cirle the Arcanine who, mulitple times, lunged at it like a dog for it's favorite chew toy. Though, his efforts were in vain as it decided to strike the Arcanine square in the center of his back, sending trembles though his entire body before collapsing to the ground. It continued to wack any vulnrable spot on the Arcanine who wimpered like a little growlithe.

Marowak, who was still free-falling, rolled out into a back flip as she dropped to land on bended knee, her palm open as her bone returned to it's master. She glanced up with a smug glance to the fire-dog who coughed and sputtered on the ground. Obviously, not in any condition to continue to carry on with battle. Once Blue unclipped his pokeball and returned the Arcanine, Marowak turned to me with pride sparkling in her eyes, "Wak! Wak wak~! Maaaarrrow!" She cheered, not moving her joints much.

To a novice, Marowak would seem perfectly fine.

To her trainer who knew her since she was a Cubone who also happens to be very intelligent, I saw though her joyful facade.

Both of her knees shivered, attempting not to buckle together. The bone she clutched in both of her puny hands was pressed close under her jaw in an endeavor not to show how her hands drembled and to cover the dark scratches that crept from the inside of her coffee tinted arms. Her cornsilk belly was pulled in tight, in fear that if she let it relax she would collapse.

I pulled out my pokeball, "Good job, Marowak. Return." I asserted as the red beam shot to her. Her bone quickly leapt up and blocked the returning powers. Her gaze steadied in a way of telling me that she wished to keep fighting. "... Fine... But- please be careful..." I whispered to her. She simply turned back to look at the Ginger who waited expactantly.

"Done? Good." He declared, throwing out his next pokemon. Like the others, the pokeball exploded open to reveal the opponent. The giant tree towered over Marowak, it's palm leaves reaching out past it's three coconut shaped heads. The pokemon grinned, glowered and sulked as it's six eyes moved to looking at the ground type.

"Exeggute..." The Exeggutor moaned in three eerie voices while his two toed feet dug into what was left of the steel arena.

Marowak became as pale as her skull before snapping to realization to fight. Her paw like hands clutched her bone as she ridged all her muscles for a fight. "Bone club." I simply said, already able to predict the victor of the round.

Despite the intimidating Exeggutor, the bone keeper rolled her bone around before bashing it into his knee as if it were a gong. Chills ran up the Exeggutor before it instinctively used Stomp without order onto Marowak.

She jumped out of the way in time, but her precious bone was not so lucky.

It was smashed and ground as the angry coconut head became dominant with the heads spinning around. It's massive foot lifted to reveal only a powder left.

Blue's face was now painted delicately with a smug grin, his eyes have become clear windows to his hubris. His fingers gently grazed though his spiked hair as his caramel eyes continued to swirl. From his smirking lips, they formed words, "Exeggutor." His voice was clear and brash, "Barrage."

What happened next. I couldn't do anything.

Just watch helplessly as my pokemon was... tortured.

The Jurassic palm swung it's heads around furiously, his feet pounded on the ground below causing tremors. It sounded like death knocking on the grand gates of Indigo Plateau. It's long leaves would sometimes spin out and slice by me, the edge of their blades cutting into my bare arms to draw ruby blood.

As the spinning monster grew closer to the Marowak whose fear became like an ocean flooding the arena. I could feel her heart racing in a way.

Bombs of coconuts shot out from the center of Exeggutor's head and flew towards my ground type. She attempted to dodge, but where ever the coco-bombs struck- a massive explosion would occur. The arrant force of one would blow her into the next wave of assaults.

Marowak, like a volley ball, was hit across the court field bounced up by the fiery plumes that never ended. The sounds were like an air raid in London during world war II. Each one came with the whistles as they fell- screamed. The explosion shoot the ground.

Marowak's pathetic sobs and screeches shilled in my ears, tearing at my heart and mind. My fingers ran though my long hair and held it in knots, I tried my best not to yank it all out. I soon lost vision of the arena as it became shrouded in a battleship grey smoke. I felt so lost.

Then came the silence.

The barrage stopped.

So did the cries.

The smoke dispersed to reveal the result.

My key stone, Marowak, lied on her right flank. Her breaths came so darkly, I could barely make out out the rise of her side. Her tail was still like the rest of her body. Her entire body was burnt in a sooty char with scars scribbled around.

Over her, towered the nemesis, Exeggutor. His face became the dominant grin that stretched nearly to meet one another on the ends of the coconut head. His stone eyes seemed like they were smiling to.

Smiling.

Always smiling.

The knee Marowak had attempted to knock out wasn't even scratched.

As I returned Marowak to her capsule, I stole yet another stare at what I would always call from that day, even though he took no lives,

The Executor.


	8. The Hacker: Chapter 7

Hitmonchan's Pokeball was catapulted out and in the bright bursts of light from the capsule, the boxing pokemon faded into the scene. His eyes were narrowed in his seriousness as he bounced foot to foot, sparing the air in patience for his opponent. He swiveled his head around to give me hi "I'm prepared to fight" gaze before centering his attention to the Eggecutor. I could feel in his serious aura, that a hint of rage was there.

"Mon." He grunted shortly to the coconut pokemon who turned to his grinning smile face.

From his disposition, I guessed that he knew this pokemon defeated Marowak. And that irritated Hitmonchan.

Blue's visage was continued with the calmness as his mouth parted just a peep to make out one word, "Barrage."

The marching began once more, the ground beneath my feet shoot as if it were afraid. I cracked a false smile, reassuring myself, "Not this time..." I whispered before connecting stares with Hitmonchan, "Use Mach punch." He nodded in the slightest bit before disappearing as the coconut bombs were thrown into the open air, whistling as they came down with gravity. In a nanosecond Hitmonchan was in the back of Eggecutor and fired his gloved fist into the opponent's back. It moved as if a bullet shot from the barrel of a gun. "Now Ice Punch!"

Hitmonchan wound up his right arm, the fist abruptly becoming covered in frost. Shards of ice building up on curves before the fighting type took his shot on the grass-psychic palm tree. A couple beads of sweat from Hitmonchan's brow tumbled off as his head curled under with all his vigor throw into one punch.

Striking in the small of the Eggecutor's ecru barked back, the pokemon bent backwards as he cried out. A shivering chill running over the entire pokemon as his three heads spun for control. "Now frontal assault with Fire Punch." I commanded. With the absolute speed I had nurtured during training, Hitmonchan rolled on his left foot as he pulled his dominant fist close. It glowed a hot red as he spun around the Eggecutor.

Directly under the chins of the opponent, Hitmonchan's feet spread into his fighting position. A smirk tugged at his mouth before shooting into the stomach of Eggecutor. The ice that gathered on the pokemon previously was now melted away and replaced by burns running like a star from his stomach where total impact was made. His six eyes bulged out from pain before Blue called out, "Use Stomp, Eggecutor!"

The Jurassic palm broke from his faze of pain as the enraged coconut spun into the center, onyx eyes giving a red glow. It rose one of it's two-toed trunks high above Hitmonchan before bringing it down with a force that trembled the ground. The tremors shoot me off balance that I collapsed to the floor, cringing with pain. I pulled my head up to see that Hitmonchan was being crushed by Eggecutor's foot which was located on my pokemon's shoulders. "CHHHHHAAAN!" His voice cried out as his entire body shoot with the weight of 264 pounds bearing down.

I scrambled up to my own two legs as my eyes recklessly surveyed the battled in front of me, trying to find some tactic to get Hitmonchan out. "G-grab his foot!" I ordered with no clue what else to order. Hitmonchan obediently rose his hands which flinched ever other inch it rose. His boxing gloves pressing under the huge foot. Hitmonchan understood the tactic I was going for and began to give all his strength into pushing the leg up. Once it was 4.7 inches above him, the fighting-type struggled to rise. Each second passed with sweat running down Hitmonchan's throbbing forearms.

Finally up to both his feet, Hitmonchan glowered at his enemy with his teeth grinding against one another. His hands twitched as it bore the weight of Eggecutor, "Now." I smirked as Hitmonchan's fists began to illuminate different colors, one a red and other a pale blue. The two fists became a Fire Punch and Ice Punch when he lifted the pokemon higher, his fists slid up to grip the shin of Eggecutor. Ice and fire began to swim up the leg of the pokemon as he started to be swung around furiously in the air before being thrown like a Frisbee across the arena. With a loud crack, Eggecutor was flung into the far wall near the doors I entered from. He slid down, defeated as frost bite and third degree burns roped around his one leg up to his flank.

Blue rose and eyebrow and whispered darkly under his breath, "That was supposed to be my sweeper..." Quickly, he shook himself from his little faze as he revealed his next pokeball, "Come on out Rydon!" He commanded as he threw out the new pokemon.

From the dazzling lights a pokemon made of cinder block-like stone towered out, a twirling horn coming from the tip of it's nose as it stood upright on two legs. Both of it's arm were like menacing clubs as it's fists curled up into balls. The pokemon's glazed red eyes were shooting at Hitmonchan white it's snaking tail whipped behind itself; white fangs poked out from over it's lower lip. The spikes that ran down the creatures spine quivered with either excitement of sheer power.

I smirk parted at my lips, knowing he had just sent out probably one of the worst type ups in this battle,"Hitmonchan use-"

"Rydon use Fury Attack." Despite the pokemon, who I soon was able to process was a male, being a concrete building- it charged at Hitmonchan like a bullet train. His head angled down as his horn began to light up a pale tint. One attack in the stomach tossed up my fighting type like a child's dolll. Before he could even fall, Rydon rammed is horn into Hitmonchan's back.

Next into the right arm.

Then in the left leg.

Again into the stomach, this time Hitmonchan coughing up a red fluid.

Final attack smashing into his jaw. Sweat spun off of both pokemon.

My breath was stuck in my chest, my heart refusing to beat for a few moments, _The limit on how many types Fury Attack can strike is five times. That... Was six. I may be in a different world, but they still have boundaries here too... What just... _My utter confusion was shattered as I stared at Hitmonchan, black stars where he was struck from the strength became another factor to be feared. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth while I simply gawked in horror. My pokemon caught my gaze and still found the energy deep within to smile, his ruby fist pushing across his lips to clean off the blood, "Chan!" He said, waiting expectantly for his next order.

I wanted to cry for some odd reason at that moment. Any living creature in that position would be screaming. And Hitmonchan decided to smile... How can anything be that strong? But, I got the point. If I waited any longer he wouldn't be smiling so softly any more, "Hitmonchan! Mach punch! And don't stop! Keep attacking over and over!" The fist-pokemon motioned his head in understanding before fizzling into a blur.

A simple obscured streak raced around the ground-rock pokemon. Rydon swung it's 2-ton head around as it let out a confused rumble, Hitmonchan merely circling him. Occasionally my pokemon would stop to teeter on his feet and shoot a false strike. Then, like bullets from the barrel of a gun, Hitmonchan sent a flurry of punches and uppercuts at the two-legged Rhinoceros.

Oh- um.. Well really. How else am I supposed to describe a Rydon in this world? I grew up in reality... Fine. I'll try to compare occasions that occur to more pokemon like genre's. But don't expect too much.

It wasn't up until the point of Rydon toppling like one of the twin towers to the battle field ground that I it dawn upon me that Hitmonchan had transformed his Mach punch into Bullet Punch. Hitmonchan heaved in his air by the gallons while his shoulder slumped over, one fist in the air in victory.

Blue artlessly called back his pokemon, thumbing his final one tentatively. "Your good... But Blastoise is going to win!" He declared, tossing out his starter. From the capsule's usual explosion came out a large toned turtle who puffed out his beige chest in dominants as the two cadet bazooka's locked onto his Coyote brown shell. The pokemon's caramel eyes were telling of his brutal strength. "Blastoise, finish this battle with bite."

I scoffed, my thoughts filling with the next attack to use, my mind saying that there was no way a little bite would take out Hitmonchan.

But, as I have found to play out frequently in this world, I was wrong.

The Blastoise lurched out, his string of Houndor like fangs glittering in the lights. His speed seemed unfathomable for his tank size. His rocking feet colliding into the cold floors while the screech of his toe nails against the surface scattered into the air. In seconds he was in Hitmonchan's personal space, wrapping his clawed hands around the fighting type, "Thunder Punch!" I commanded, hope attempting to to waver in my tone.

On his last legs, Hitmonchan wound up his dominant arm with volts and bolts of lighting spinning from his fist. He threw his arm into the Blastoise's stomach. Not even flinching, the fully-evolved starter dangled Hitmonchan before sinking his fangs into my pokemon's head. I observed the dojo-pokemon's eyes bulge from his head as he cried out screams of pain, sweat began to mingle with blood that ran down his face. After what seemed to be pokemon-cannibalism, Blastoise tossed my pokemon to the ground who spun out limply. Red painted on the giant pokemon's rows of teeth.

I felt sick to my stomach.

I couldn't even pull myself to look at my beaten and battered brawling pokemon.

I could still hear his moans as I lied on the battle field.

All I was able to do was lift my arm slowly and return him back to the pokeball with an H sticker wearing away on it. "Give up yet, Leaf?"

Despite my heart which pounded into my ears, I pulled my mouth into a smirk, "You should know the answer to that now..." My stomach bubbled up as my energy only gave me the power to let the next pokemon slip from my fingertips.

The next red and white pokeball with a aqua blue V rolled out into the arena before exploding in a colorless white illumination. Bubbles popped around the area as Vapreon gracefully entered battle. His sleek skin shining with a quick gleam as his eyes sleepily looked at the army-built Blastoise. Soon, his neck rolled around to look at me with _that_ gaze. I tapped my calf impatiently as I forced a bright smile to the pokemon, "Just pay attention..." I tried with all my self control not to snarl like a Houndoom.

He simply flicked his mermaid tail at me before fixing is gaze back at Blastoise. I took a breath, _Vaporeon and Blastoise are both bad against one another... But that tank is probably going to run down Vaporeon in less than 5 turns... So, I have to make a plan that will make an impact when Venusaur battles... _

"Blastoise! Hydro pump on that eeveelution!" Both of the glimmering bazookas on Blastoise clicked as he angled down. At their tips water began to slosh before two strong beams shot out with the immense power misting. In about one meter the two waters conjoined into one blast of water continuously pumped from the guns.

"Vaporeon, use hydro pump too!" The water-type pressed his cone back against to his shoulder blades as a bubble of water surged at the tip of his nose with his jaw drawing further open. The lights of the battle field reflected in the orb of constant motion along with the opponent's attack growing closer by the moments that ticked past. Vaporeon, after charging the attack, let the pounding water rip from the building tension just inches of Blastoise's attack reaching him. White foam of his salt water spun off before colliding up against the opponent's own hydro pump.

It transformed into a battle of strength as each pokemon put their best foot forward and gave all their power into a single focus. The two swirling torrents of water continued to throb against one another as they fought for mere inches on the battle field.

_Almost like trench warfare in World War I_... I mused as I tired to keep my mind engrossed in the battle ahead. My observations brought up to surface that Blastoise was pushing his weight of roughly 190 pounds into his attack while Vaporeon was trembling to keep his footing. It struck my odd that Blue used a water-type move against a pokemon who is commonly known to have water absorb as an ability.

Neutralizing all attacks using water.

My breath floated in my lungs for a moment, like the wings of a Spearow poising to strike. "Let go, Vaporeon." I could see as the oxford blue ripples of spikes that ran down Vaporeon's back shutter before he obediently let his profuse water drop, the compeditor's hydro pump sliced though the old attack which no longer had any force like a blade though a loaf of bread. "Lie down." On command, Vaporeon let his four paws slip under his weight and sprawl out on all sides. His Carolina blue stomach brushing the steel floors and an idea came to me as the water soared over his head and into the wall just behind me. "Ice beam on the floor! All around! No spot on that field should be open expect for where you are standing! Got it?"

For my response, a light blue beam like lightning shot across the area. Everything the beam touched became coated in a layer of ice as thick as three quarters stacked on top of one another. Even Blastoise's feet were frozen to the ground they were placed on. Water from his last attack still had dripped onto Vaporeon who finally rose to his four paws, giving off an air of superiority.

"Blastoise, use Blizzard!" Blue instructed as he flung his arm out dramatically. The arming of both of Blasoise's weapons bounced off the steel walls ensued by an empty and lonely howling from within the barrels of the guns. The air from around began to slowly spiral into them before the giant turtle bellowed a hollow cry. Snow and ice shot out from both guns in reverse spiral they were absorbed. Bitter frost screeched into Vaporeon, the residual waters that were left was immediately turned into ice as his skin started to swell in clumps, on joints.

Frostbite signs.

The recoil of the attack took no health from Blastoise but the ice that held him in a single spot was shattered into thousands of fragments. Blood trickled in a circle around the pokemon's ankles. A weak cry snapped my head to my own pokemon, Vaporeon struggling to rise as frost coated over his entire body. his yellow spikes on the cone had chunks of ice growing while patches of skin distorted into darker colors, furthering into the severity of the frostbite.

My pokemon wasn't even standing anymore as he shivered forcibly. Each syllable of his voice shook, his jaw clamming up. Still, he quivered to rise. The battle wasn't done yet in his black eyes. "Your done." I asserted. He shook his head. "Yes, you are." My voice snarled, returning him back to a kinder pokeball.

_At least he is still conscious..._ I reminded myself, scouting the arena. Metal and rock was upturned just to be coated in a thick layer of ice; the only bare spots was one directly 1.4 meters away from my position while the other was where Blastoise shifted his weight.

My fingers squeaked my final pokeball tightly, the only control I had left was being used not to destroy the technology. _This is it..._ I breathed in my mind as I looked at the tank-like Blastoise. _It all comes down to you..._ "Venusaur!" I called out as I propelled the pokeball out into the open air. Bursting forth, came the grass-poison type I had forged a deep friendship with. "This is our last stand! I'm depending on you as how you depend on me!" I told her. She turned her great toad shaped head, her cranberry eyes were sharp as she seemed to understand.

She moved her mind back into battle and positioned her trunks perfectly in the space that Vaporeon left not covered in a layer of ice. She erupted with a mighty roar, her long pink spotted petals trembled with vigor as her head rolled around. Her mouth was pulled open and bore her white fangs.

She was ready.

My eyes darted around the area as tactic after tactic raced though my mind. One idea seemed somewhat plausible in this battle, _But that damn blizzard will wipe us out for sure if it strikes... _"Leaf Storm, Venusaur, 94 degrees to your left angled 12 degrees lower than 180." Venusaur slowly moved herself to the angle measurements I had ordered as a from her giant flower, a hurricane of leaves were thrown out.

And yes, after months of traveling, a pokemon can be able to grow accustom to exact degrees of movement when ordered.

Blue's eyes narrowed, "Withdraw!" The ginger ordered as Blastoise pulled his limbs into the shell. The twister of leaves like razors spun out into the ice a meter away from our opponent, throwing the torrent off into the air; single leaves would scratch the adversary's shell surface. Blue started to laugh as his eyes squeezed shut, his fingers raking through his gelled hair, "When you gave coordinates like that I swore it was going to hit the target dead on! Your calculations were off, _genius_!"

I rolled my eyes, "No they weren't."with a sneer I observed the ivy leaves twirl up, clashing with the ceiling above. Metal and light fixtures shattered as they flew down to the air, their breaking noises disturbing the air. The light of the high dandelion sun glimmered reflecting the ice in a bright glaze, the forest fern leaves on Venusaur's back glowed with health as the light illuminated perfectly on my starter. "You know the next move, Venusaur."

Her teal ear flicked as the sun rays were converted into golden flecks of sparks that streamed into the aureolin pistil like water cascading down a waterfall.

"Shit... Blizzard, Blastoise!" Taking direct orders, the Blastoise's cannons began to fill with the wails of the arctic winds as the cloud white fakes were formed at the tips as they swirled like a saw blade. Both of the water-type's arms were spread, when the attack was ready to be launched the terrifying click of the arming was heard.

_Please work, please work, please work..._ I begged and pleated as heaven's light was brought down on my pokemon. _She should be able to let Solar Beam go whenever she wants, but if there is more light... It might be stronger... Might rival blizzard... _

"NOW BLASTOISE!"

"NOW VENUSAUR!"

The two decrees were belted out into the remnants of the Champion's Chambers in the same seconds that flew by with the two intense forces that were given off my the two starters. A dazzling golden laser like the beacon of a light house slammed into the cyclone of ice, though we were on the lower-hand, the Solar Beam held strong as it pushed back the white-out in by inch. The sound of radiation echoed as the heat of Venusuar's attack commenced to melt the snow into drops of water.

Sweat of the anticipation streaked down from my forehead to my jawline while my teeth were scraping against one another.

All at once, the ray sabered though the snow like a sword running a man though before striking the plastron of the Blastoise's shell and he was flung back as damage was given. "Now Razor Leaf!" I ordered next, Venusaur swinging her head back and forth as from her blooming flower numerous leaves were thrown about with the speed of a Liapard. Each leave that spun as if it were a disc into venerable blue skin on Blastoise, pushing him back foot by foot. "On the ice! Body Slam!"

Venusaur reared up onto her hind legs before pounding down giving the earth small tremors beneath our feet before slipping onto the ice. She kicked off and slid in a diagonal line a right angle clockwise from Blastoise before I called, "Lean all your weight to your left!" Her front left leg tucked in as she sharply spun, suddenly circling the Blastoise on the slick ice. Her horn sized nails skimmed the frozen surface like ice skates, leaving light marks behind before sinking deep into the floe. The ice beginning to melt left the ice remaining to seem to be floating above the field.

As her nails shattered the ice at each of her paws, Venusaur charged like a Ryhorn letting out a long grunting roar. Her head rolled down just before impact, throwing the Blastoise up. As he fell, Venusaur rammed her entire self against the opponent. Blastoise rolled around for a few moments as Venusaur was drenched in a heavy sweat, legs wobbling against one another. Her breaths were abysmal while the air grew thinner in the room; my own inhales nearly matching hers.

Just after I shifted view to the rest of our surroundings, found that I could barely just bat my eyes at the display at my feet. Blastoise on his back shell, teetering with scars running everywhere. Bruises forming on where ever bare skin would lay open to the world around. There was no way he could have found the energy to even balance himself off his carapace. The first words I found myself saying I don't thing I would ever regret, "I TOLD YOU I'D KICK YOUR ASS IN THIS BATTLE!" I laughed as Venusaur continued to slide across the ice. My breath was gone, but I still scampered across the slippery, cracking ice to her side. Both of my arms bundled around the humongous grass-poison like frog, my feet scrambling up so I would be perched at the base of her neck. I hugged her like I would never be separated. "Amazing! Fabulous! Exemplary! Best play ever! Almost like chess, but better!"

Maybe the teenage opponent didn't want me to pick up his next words, but my ears still caught the smooth rolling of his whisper as Venusaur continued to skate across the ice. "Arceus... She's really changed, hasn't she..."

I giggled quietly, _I feel like a little kid! Can I stay like this for a little longer before going back to reality?_ I found myself asking while Venusaur found it entertaining to spin out on the ice, causing me to grip on for dear life.


	9. The Hacker: Chapter 8

"Well... This means your the new champion..." Blue whispered as he looked down at me with his russet eyes, his fingers laced though his ginger hair as he gave me a lopsided smile.

I was in the midst of returning Venusaur when I craned my head to face him, "Weird. You can keep the champion name, I mean... It's not like I am going to be here for much longer." I babbled, tucking back Venusaur into my bag. "I just have to capture Mew and beat Red now... Well- get his pokemon... I can't do that from a champion thrown. And after I'm done I can go home."

I smiled, but it quickly fell as I saw something flash in Blue's expression. His eyes swam as his smirk seemed to melt for a moment. "Yeah... I guess your right. You'll be going home soon."

My first impression was that the trainer was saddened by those facts. Until something told me different.

_He's lying,_ a voice whispered in my ear. It was my own. I couldn't tell what he was lying about at the time. Weather it was he thought I was right or I would be going home. I felt my heart sink, his eyes were disappointed. That stare you never wanted to feel, the one that makes you feel sick of yourself. Quickly, he snapped into a smile.

Both of his eyes were shut, "Well! I guess it's time to show you the entrance to Mt. Silver." The Ginger cleared his throat, taking grasp of my hand. His hand radiated a warmth while his callus skin brushed my palm, "Your hand is soft...:" He hushed softly while he tugged me though the elite four chambers.

I said nothing as my feet dragged across the floors that glistered in the lights. People who the news had reached about my victory were already lined up. They applauded, their hands smacking against one another were like helium balloons popping in a barrage. Faces of people I met on my journey smiled with a sunny demeanor and waved. My "mother" was cheering at the same moment of dabbing her eyes with a lily white handkerchief, her dark hair tumbling over her shoulder.

My gaze ran over the whole scene as we passed though the commons of the Indigo Plateau, Nurse Joy even clapping at her station. We passed even them, Blue not moving his head from his directed path. The double glass doors were pushed open by some of the people to let us though.

Blue was determined to keep going but I stopped in my tracks, causing him to be yanked back. He gave me a sharp gaze, "I need to heal my pokemon." He rolled his deep eyes before releasing his grip on my fingers. Stretching them out, I trotted over to where Nurse Joy was, bordering the right side of the entrance to the elite four.

Her cotton candy hair that was tied up into two buns matched her cheeks as her blue eyes blinked at me, "Well hello, Miss Leaf! Would you like me to heal your pokemon?" _Nooo... I came here just to be friendly with you..._ With nothing else really in my bag, I flipped my maize bag upside down so that the six pokeballs tumbled out, Vulpix's rolling off of the plastic counter top. Nurse Joy caught it and smiled. "I'll take that as a yes!" Her voice squeaked like a Skitty, placing each pokemon capsule into her rectangular healing machine behind her.

After a few lights flashing, a bing sounded and she took the pokeballs out. "All done!" She softly handed me my team with a beautifully fake smile, "I hope to see you again!"

I wanted to turn back to Blue. I was dying to continue on my journey to escape. But my feet stayed super glued to the pink marble floors while questions sang though my mind about the woman who smiled too brightly.

_Do the nurses have dreams of their own?_

_Do they secretly hate people?_

_Why are they always smiling?_

A hand sunk on my shoulder, "Come on Leaf. Time to go." A hot breath brushed my ear, yet I yielded a flinch as I turned to finally follow Blue out. The mountains leading to the entrance and exit of Indigo Plateau were glowing as the sinking red sun melted in the sky like ice cream down a child's hand. The evergreen pines that grew around us densely were hit with the golden light just slightly while the silver arches that lead down the way were gleaming with a blinding illumination.

My eyes drooped while staring at the entrance to Victory Road. Or- exit technically. "Do I have to walk though _that_ again?"

Contrary to his mood only seconds ago, Blue broke out into laughter. He pressed his big hand down onto my head, the white hat I always wore sliding past my eyes. I spent a few moments in a panicked darkness as Blue's voice rumbled with amusement, "Or you could just fly with me to the beginning of Victory Road." I heard the popping of a pokeball opening and a crow of a majestic avian pokemon. A coarse but warm as a pizza box hand grasped mine, "Come on."

With my open hand, I slicked my hat back. "I have my own Pidgeot. Why am I riding yours?" I pointed out as the trainer recommenced to drag me to where his bird was. Before I could even get another word out, he silently scooped me up bridal style. My legs swinging over his left arm as his right wrapped around my shoulders like a cozy blanket. I looked to give him a crooked gaze to find him staring down at me; once his dark eyes swam in my brown ones he shot his gaze away. Gingerly, he set me onto the end of his pokemon's back. The Pidgeot's beige feathers ruffled up against the skin of my legs and red skirt. I twittled my fingers around the delicate quills. The bird twisted back it's head and opened his ivory beak to chirp happily.

"Because mine is faster." Blue boasted arrogantly as he sung up onto his flying-type in the space in front of where I rested. "Now, I would suggest you hold onto me~" He cocked his head to me and winked one of his eyes, smiling in an odd way.

_Why do I feel like I am being undermined?_ I wondered.

Straightening my spine I cleared my throat, "I have ridden a Pidgeot before. I don't need to hold onto _you_ to stay on."

"Suit yourself," He shrugged with a nonchalance, "Fly, Pidgeot." With that command, both of Pidgeot's wings were unfurled. With great pumps of the two airfoils, the pokemon's body lurched with every foot we rose. Once we were in the melting sky, the winds that swept around the bones of earth lapped though my hair. I could feel as the Pidgeot expanded his rib cage to take in a gulp of fresh air before taking off.

He shot like a missile across the sky, my arms flinging around Blue's torso while a sinking emotion bubbled in my gut screaming I was going to be thrown off, "I AM GOING TO DIEEEEEEEEE!" I shrieked involuntarily. Despite the high air currents that screamed past my ears, I could hear Blue laughing at my reaction. I purposely tightened my grip around his stomach so that he started to cough.

As the minutes passed by, Blue leaned so that we would circle a large mountain. It was made of dark charcoal rock as the tops were laced with veils of snow. Even from the distance where we glided on the winds, you could see the swirling blizzards that blasted against the mountain. I expected any moment for it to come tumbling down to shambles as the avalanches rolled down it's rocky arms. Still the mountain stood defiant as at the tip a clearing was prevalent, a cave entrance leading to it. "Mt. Silver!" Blue called over to me, "Red is at the peak!"

"Oh my Arceus! That place looks like it could kill people!"

"It has."

I swallowed down a thick ball of saliva that gathered at the back of my throat. An aftershock that traveled from the storms flung at us while we rounded the mountain peak. Pidgeot was thrown back roughly, in fear I wrapped myself closer to the Pidgeot's master while I felt my hat being torn off my head. My neck swiveled my neck around to watch it float off like a dandelion fluff in the air, almost in slow motion as it ran off into the mountains, "My hat..." I mumbled under my breath, words and air being sucked from my very lips from the winds around us.

In the next moments of silence between the Ginger and I, Pidgeot took his landing. Roughly 16 of his tawny feathers fluttering beneath us as he sunk into a landing; his sharp claws clacking against the hard rock at our feet. Slipping off from the pokemon's back, I found we were in the center of four paths.

"That one leads to Johto," Blue said from behind, setting a hand on my shoulder. I angled my head to gaze up, seeing that his towered about 5 inches above my nose. "Behind is the Indigo Plateau. And to our right is Kanto and finally... On our left would be the path to Mt. Silver."

With a jubilee feeling burning like a flame in my chest, I trotted over to the path leading to the mountain, "Well, thanks for the ride! Remind me never to fly on that pokemon ever again! See ya'!"

I spun on my heel to the route but a voice spoke, "Wait!" My shoulders sulked as I turned back around. Blue rummaged around his bag and said, "While I find some stuff, why won't you ride again? You ride your Pidgeot all the time."

I let out an exasperated huff, both my arms crossing. "I only fly on him occasionally. I don't like hights or speed. I kinda was a shut in before, well," I motioned with my hands around the world I stood in, "This."

"Found it!" Blue exclaimed, completely dismissing me. He calmly strided over to me and pulled out a pair of white ear-muffs. They were as fluffy as a Furfrou with a black head band connecting the two muffs, "Once Daisy found out you were going to go to Mt. Silver she cried out, 'Oh my poor baby will be so cold! All she ever wears is that tank top and skirt! She will freeze!' then she ran off to find you some warm clothes. She really cares about you." He chuckled nervously as I fit the ear-muffs over my head. Both of my ears grew with warmth at the same time that the fur brushed my skin. "Ah- and one more." He continued to rummage though a bag he brought, pulling out a black jacket. Once accepting it, I found that it had a thin down interior while the outside was a rough polyester shell; there was a breast pocket on each side of the zip up jacket.

Carefully, I ran my arms though the sleeves and zipped up to the collar. The winter-made jacket was large, hung over past my finger tips; the bottom half way down my skirt and the collar brushing just under my nose. Almost afraid to, I took a sniff of it, oxygen filling my lungs while a familiar scent lingered in my nostrils. _It smells like Blue._ Were the words my mind said, my mouth staying pressed shut. _Though it's odd..._ I_ don't remember him ever wearing it. Not in other games..._

Blue gave a disappointed look and said, "Ugh. It doesn't fit." He monotoned. But I could tell he was somewhat irritated, "I'll take it back and return it, Daisy bought it and-"

_Liar!_ I laughed in my head while I leapt back when his hand reached out, "I like it." He flinched for a brief moment, "It's kinda like a big hug. It's really warm too. Tell Daisy thank you!" I beamed before skipping back down the path, tapping my fingers against my pokeballs. "Ah!" I nearly forgot to say one more thing that day. And if I didn't, I might have regretted it. My head spun back around while I waved my arm in the air wildly, "And thanks for the jacket, Blue!"

Though he was facing away to board his flying pokemon, his steps were frozen to the ground. The tips of his ears turned a dark crimson. I couldn't help but to let out a small giggle before dashing into the mountain.

After that, I would spend long lonely days on that mountain. I would trudge though blizzards that shot snow at me that were like needles slamming into my body. Some days the winds would be so powerful, I could barley take a single step. Barely any pokemon would be on the outsides of the mountain.

On the other hand, the inside was made up of cave systems which crawled with pokemon with the capability to kill me with one swing of their paws. It wasn't much warmer in there either. Still, when the sun sank on the horizon I would drag my freezing ass into the caves and sleep with a pokemon or two. Most of the days they would slumber in their pokeballs while I braved the swirling storms around us, at night they acted as my guardians.

I would usually be curled up with Vulpix while the others rotated hourly as protection. Not like I actually got much sleep there though. My mind would run with many different ways to approach Red when I eventually would found him.

Or some nights it was the paranoia that my pokemon would be defeated and I would be killed. Or that the next day I would freeze to death in the storm. Or the next avalanche would be the end of me.

My arms, each time a thought like that came to me, would grip harder around the small fire fox in my arms. In turn to calm my nerves, she would swing her head around and lick my cheek with her fiery warm tongue. It was hard like sandpaper, but I felt like a weight was momentarily taken from my mind each time.

And then the moment came.

My skin was bluer than the oceans as I pushed my face further into Blue's old jacket. Though, my hot breath still became a hot steam into the vapors around us. Both my un-gloved hands were jammed under my armpits as I shook though the cave. Travelling any further on the outside would have killed me. The bluffs had become too steep for scaling with out proper climbing equipment. The blizzard outside became fearfully fierce, the ice in the spiralling winds would probably have pelted me unconscious. And then I would be buried alive in snow. Then I wouldn't be alive for much longer.

Each time a wild pokemon came, I would send out Hitmonchan to knock them out. That was when, I found a pile of blankets beside a cave exit. A stack of manga magazines spilled all over on the dark stones. _This must be it..._ I mused, pulling myself towards the stone way.

Once I stepped out, the blinding midday sun dazzled me with its bright smile at the same moment a gentle breeze sped by me. I took a moment to inhale the crisp air, feel the sun beat on my frost bitten skin. I haven't seen the sun for four days at that point. It was refreshing, maybe it was the world telling me that if I keep though the storm, I will find the brightest sun...

Maybe that was too psychological.

With a hand I pulled from my under arm, I streaked it across my nose to wipe away snot. Each step I began to take froward crunched under my beaten running shoes, flakes breaking into other flakes. Standing at the edge of the cliff point was a boy, his caramel hair tucked under a red and white hat. The boy's cherry red jacket fluttered in the wind as his yellow backpack had a layer of frost wrapped over it.

"Excuse me..." My voice cracked. I found it hard to speak since I hadn't even spoken a word to my own pokemon for those days..._ Had they found it lonely too, trekking up here?_ He stood unmoved as the sun silhouetted his shape. Abruptly seeing him, I was overcome with an anxious sense. How could have I confronted him?

Hello! My name is Leaf and I am the reason you are banished to this frozen and abandon hell! I am the reason you will probably never see your mother's face again! The... The reason why you will rarely ever find another person to talk to you... Yeeaah- no.

He gradually pivoted, his face rounding into view. Our milk chocolate eyes became locked for what felt like an eternity as the frigged gust howled past against the mountain's bluffs. Like a feather sinking to the earth, Red drew a pokeball from his belt.

There were no more time more words.

So I followed his exact actions, folding my hand around my partner's pokeball. The one from the very beginning.

And thus our battle began.


	10. The Hacker: Chapter 9

Without a breath or a shiver, Red tossed out his first pokemon. From the exploding pokeball a yellow rat flung out. Bolts of saffron lighting bolts sparked off into the clear air as the Pikachu poised himself into the snow, white piles sinking up to the stub of the electric-types chin. The pokemon's obsidian orbs showed a strength and intimidation that even sent chills down my spine, not from the below zero weather.

My pokemon's capsule gently was flicked off my my fingertips, gracefully turning in the air. From the bursting lights, Venusaur swung out. The snow her paws fell into was tossed up into the air as she let out a hardy roar, shivering her muscles slightly. I recalled that Pikachu's ability was static from when I was raising the small pokemon, meaning any form of physical contact has just been crossed off. "Venusaur, use Razor Leaf!" I quickly commanded, deciding to hold back the stronger moves for the future.

From her large flower, the leaves spun out and tore across the battle field. Pikachu stood unwavered by the incoming attack as his master rose a hand. Red sharply struck his arm across his body to his left side, a silent direction. The Pikachu in seconds became engulfed in a glaring surge of electricity sparking from his cheeks, taking the entire body. The Razor Leaf was zapped into ashes as they sped into the electricity.

Still absorbed in the power, the pokemon took a single step before rushing off like a blur. The golden light zagged back and forth like the pokemon's own tail before he wedged between Venusaur's thick legs. He shot up against her belly, the power tossing her up. With collision, thunder rumbled in the distance while the brilliant lighting bounced off and against my pokemon.

The pikachu quickly vibrated back to his battle location, a trail of snow parted where his running path was. It uncovered the dark stone at our feet as the Pikachu took low breaths, the attack obviously taking a toll.

But not as much as it did to my Venusaur who tottered like a child taking their first steps. Her head trembled to be held high as her reaching leaves shivered. Rising from her stomach I could see dark marks from where the lightning and roped burns across her. "Razor Leaf, Venusaur!" I still demanded to push her forward. At the time, I took no notice at the use of Volt Tackle in this Fire Version. It took time for me to one day realize that the move was not introduced until Generation III.

And like the obedient partner she was, my pokemon staggered into her battle position. From her gigantic blossom locked on her spin she propelled numerous leaves which spun out with fine rims. Pikachu took small leaps back to dodge each bit of foliage. In moments, the rosy-cheeked pokemon was flicking his jagged tail beside his master's pant leg.

Red silently turned out the yellow mouse's capsule, recalling him. The trainer tucked the pokeball back as he tossed a new one into battle. From a bright gleaming, a pair of wings unfurlled themselves. They were an indigo with a vibrant orange lining. Two great paws dug into the snow while the monster let out a resounding roar. The draconic head swung around, his eccentric blue eyes striking at Venusaur.

If you couldn't tell already, it's Charizard.

And my next move was fatal.

I _hesitated_. My mind debated whether to return Venusaur to her pokeball to send out another. Or to keep Venusaur battling to the point she faints to knock down health points of the Flying-Fire starter. Sorry to cut off the story, but is it just me who thinks that Charizard should be dragon instead of flying? Let's get back to the battle...

At the same moment I reached for the next pokemon's pokeball settled in my bag, it was too late. Red gave a flick of his hat. Charizard's belly expanded, glowing a faint red, as the pokemon's head rolled back before thrusting forward. It's angled jaw pulled open before firing a thick plume of fire, the blaze snapped just at the feet of Venusaur. The embers of the luminescent fire burned from a dull red to a starry white.

One strike and the fire spread, the snow on the mountain top evaporating. The crawling fire, with a flick of the Charizard's tail, spun into four towering columns of flames at the corners of Venusaur. The dancing inferno leapt and bound across her as he let out agonizing wails, being burn to a crisp. The strapping pink petals of her tropical blossom becoming caught up in the fire which seemed to devour my partner.

I was helplessly watching as Charizard added to the fire, roasting my pokemon.

When it's lustering flames became a smoldering smoke that puffed up into the sky, Venusuar was done. Her body was run through with third-degree burns and her fern leaves were charred down to the stubs. Her legs twitched in attempts to rise, but I wouldn't let a thing happen. I rose my hand in which her pokeball sat in and returned her.

Disgust boiled up in my stomach like acid rotting though at the same time I sent out Marowak. I was sickened by what was done to my starter, naturally, but that wasn't what made me feel utter repulsion. That was towards myself. Because I felt _proud_.

I raised Charizard when I was playing on my Gameboy from the very start. I, of course, hacked him later on. But this was the first pokemon I chose and he won with a move I hacked in from the future generations. Smart, right? Well, not anymore.

Marowak twirled her ivory bone with patience, observing our opponent who towered over. What I found was that soon after, Red returned his Charizard to bring out Pikachu once more. _Is he an idiot?_ I thought very dryly,_ His most powerful move of Volt Tackle won't do a thing against Marowak. _

"Fissure!" I commanded, shoveling my thoughts aside to wrap up the battle.

Like all the times before, my pokemon wound up her club as her dusty tail flicked tentatively. She then struck down on the mountain, her body flipping up into the air as the ground at our feet trembled. In the distance I heard many avalanches start to surf down the rocky ledges. Red simply smiled from his battle position and pulled on the back collar of his jacket.

The spitting of the Earth at our feet commenced, moving like a bolt of lighting towards Pikachu. Just inches away he leapt up and, with his staggering speed stat, he shot across the field like a blur to strike Marowak with a Quick Attack. The force threw my ground-type off balance, tottering on a single foot, as Pikachu poised himself for another strike.

His tail gave off a brilliant silver glow, shining down with a metallic sheen. One small paw forward before taking off at Marowak, snapping up into the air. It was in slow motion from there, the Pikachu smirking arrogantly as his cheeks prickled with tiny sparks. It all came down, the Iron Tail crashing into Marowak's skull- small cracks running about as her mocha eyes bulged from her head.

Finally, Pikachu back flipped away so that Marowak could fall. Her body weight throwing up snow where she landed. "Only... Two... Attacks..." I breathed, gently calling back Marowak. "Who next, who next..." I gritted my teeth as I swam though my bag.

I could hear Red recalling his own pokemon. I wondered if he knew who I was going to send out next. Out of complete paranoia, I spun around and continued to fish though my chiffon bag. _I could think logically, he would probably send out a sweeper like Charizard out next. Or he might throw out Lapras to shake this up. Someone who would be fine against either would be Hitmonchan with his variety of elemental punches._

My mind swam around with many different options of tactical procedures to pursue on with, _There is also a 60 percent chance of him sending out one of his other three. He just returned Pikachu, so there is no rhyme of reason to send him back out. In that chance I could just throw out yet another pokemon randomly and there is a 35 percent of an opportunity in which case of it being a perfect match up in my favor. 35 percent prospect of it being a stale mate match and a 30 percent of a random shot being in Red's favor._

_Now, those odds have to wide and unsettling of margins... If I do go with Hitmonchan, his statistics and elemental attacks would be 0 chances of it being a bad match up. 20 percent leaning towards a neutral stand off. And an 80 percent likelihood of a round in our benefit._

The choice was obvious.

I grasped my fingers around Hitmonchan's red and white pokeball before tossing it out as a baseball into a field. As the lustering light dazzled down from the pokeball which burst forth with my pokemon, we were also lifting the curtain to meet our next opponent. Snorlax.

The large pokemon swayed as a sumo wrestler would, his eyes drooped with a sleep-induced exhaustion. For example, you know how you want to go back to sleep right after you wake up? It was like that. Snorlax's pointed teal ears twitched to acknowledge the presence of my fighting-type who was currently shooting false punches into the air.

Though Snorlax had just emerged for battle, he let out a rolling snore as his head tipped forward as if to sleep on both feet. I smirked, _I originally thought that the chances of Hitmonchan winning this round would be roughly 67 percent... But now it must be well in the 80's._ My mind defaulted to numbers and figures. Plotting out angles. Deciding the amount of health that would be reduced by certain attacks. How our speed would knock this battle out of the park. In a way, I was pulling apart this battle like a jigsaw puzzle.

"Bullet Punch, now Hitmonchan!" I demanded, brushing away locks of hair that fell into my face. Following my command, Hitmonchan bent down and positioned his feet like a runner. Both of his gloves dug into the frosty snow before he shot forward. Within a moment, he was up to Snorlax's flabby gut, releasing flurries of jabs and prods. Every few seconds, Hitmonchan would fly to another angle to release his punches. Each one was strong and fast, like bullets being fired from a gun.

Hence the name.

I started to become cocky with a beam stretching across my face, "Now use Fire Punch!"

Then, like a snowflake drifting in the mountain winds, a gentle voice whispered something. I couldn't make out the word, a single word was said and I couldn't figure it out. I was so engrossed in my attempts to make out what it was, who said it, I completely ignored the battle.

Hitmonchan was winding up his dominant hand as golden flames danced about his ruby glove. He let the swing go, all the power he could in one punch. A huge mouth dropped open and engulfed the entire arm, pointed white teeth sinking into Hitmonchan's shoulder pad. "-Chan...?" His voice squeaked before noticing a pair of teal ears flicking above the mouth which had taken his arm, which was still connected.

Then, I followed back to the battle after hearing a shattering _CRUNCH_. Hitmonchan sucked in both of his lips in an act to hide his pain, failing as the sweat came down in buckets down his face. Soon he was screaming as the pain became too much of a burden. Some blood dripping down into the snow, making it no longer a pure white.

Like a Growlithe throwing out the bone, Snorlax rolled his neck around and tossed Hitmonchan back at me. My pokemon slid across the snow, far behind me and into the mountain's side. "Hitmonchan!" I cried out while watching the fighter stumbled back. His head had a large egg sized bump reaching up from where he rammed into the walls and with his good hand, he clutched his gargling wound where blood ran down his dark arm to match his boxing gloves.

From behind I heard a whooshing of snow about, the hair on the back of my neck rose in a way of telling me an enormous power was gathering. Faltering to glance back, my blood drained the color from my face. An auroral magenta mixed with a maize yellow light that swallowed up Red's Snorlax. For a sluggish pokemon, when it took off I couldn't have kept up with him as he flew like a jet into Hitmonchan.

My fighting type was driven into the rocky mountain and continuously pounded into the wall. Once the pumbling was done, Snorlax fell back with a content grin as his stomach rose and fell- suddenly zoned out and asleep. Hitmonchan slid down the wall covered in scars with blood running around everywhere.

Now on both knees, Hitmonchan panted- choking each breath. He looked at me, his left eye swollen shut as his right had blood dripping around. My pokemon gave me a smile, a few teeth missing before collapsing face first into the ground.

He would be sore for the next few days...

Shuffling out his capsule, I switched him out for Vaporeon. As he pounced from his pokeball, his leathery mermaid tail flicking about, Red had replaced his pokemon with a Venusaur. The grass-types frog shaped head shook around as his leaves shuttered. "Shit..." I cussed under my breath,_ If I switch out now then Pidgeot would be struck with an attack that would probably knock him out... But Venusaur are slow- I forgot, I hacked up Venusaur's speed to make him one of the fastest on the team... He'd probably he able to dodge..._ I looked down at my Vaporeon who stared up at me with trust in his arrogant black pools.

_A sacrifice pokemon to faint would force me to switch out, and give me the first move in the next round._ I slipped back into a cold-as-stone thought process I held since the beginning._ I'm sorry._ I echoed mentally, but was I really? "Vaporeon, use Ice Beam!"

The aquatic responded by reeling back his powder blue shoulders, his fins quivered slightly. From the tip of his nose, a ball of ice spun into existence, before shooting like a cold lightning at the third-stage Kanto grass starter. I watched as Red pulled on the back of his hat, dark hair whipping slightly across his forehead like a paintbrush. His Venusaur understood the direction and pulled his front paws apart.

He bellowed a monstrous roar as the pokemon's kitten teeth were bared. From the earth under our feet shot up colossal pillars of thousands of intertwined vines. Each deep spring vine making up the tens of pillars were covered in hunter spikes. The Ice beam was just like a mosquito running into the windshield of a car. The plant columns danced around for a bit before spiraling with a beautiful accuracy at Vaporeon.

My pokemon panicked, tripping around on his tail to stagger away. He was too slow, the sharp vines shot into him like arrows by the dozen. Scrapes that drew Vaporeon's blood wrapped around his entire body as the pillars all wrapped around his small body. He cried. Oh Arceus, his cries were so loud and stricken with agony. He was in so much misery...

When the vines took their leave, slithering away back into the ground which they came. This let Vaporeon drop from the air he was suspended in, once he hit the ground he couldn't even twitch his tail. In struggle to hide the guilt I felt, I swiftly called him back.

I watch Red send out his Blastoise, unwanting to keep battling with his Venusaur. Pushed in a corner, I could only send out Pidgeot because Vulpix would have been crushed. A wind from behind pushed his pokeball from my fingers and into the battle, his tawny wings spreading out as the gusts fluttered his feathers like angel wings.

Salmon mingling with a bright yellow line of feathers slinked around Pidgeot as he was prepared for battle. With a quick hand motion from Red, Blastoise's cannons swirled with an icy wind. Howling I remember from my battle with Blue. "Get out of here, Pidgeot!" I demanded quickly just as the Blizzard was broken out on us. My bird understood and shot up into the atmosphere, his wings slicking against his back until he was barely a blip in the sky. "FLY!" I shouted as loud as I possibly could, moments after my throat starting to feel very coarse.

My ideas of him being unable to hear my voice was promptly whisked away in the act of where Pidgeot descended rapidly like a bomb to a town. With a sudden jolt, both his wings ruffled out. He was a streak in my vision as I soared at Blastoise. But like the kill-joy Red had become in this battle, he flicked his nose.

From the Blasotise's dual cannons and his mouth, water began to surge. Surge like ocean currents in the midst's of a hurricane. Hydro Cannon shot Pidgeot right down, one thundering into each wing and the final one striking his rib cage. Pidgeot fell like a stone, but not even half way though falling was Blastoise ready to attack again. A Flash Cannon this time, the dazzling steel lights glared, causing my own eyes to throb. The glistering beam exploded against my pokemon, leaving him just a mound which snow started to gather on.

Snow was gathering.

At the same time I was returning Pidgeot, very frustratingly I will also mention, I took note of the gentle flakes that begun to settle on my head; the flakes melted into my scalp and for a bit it was soothing. Then awfully cold.

Red of course did the same, as quiet as a church Rattata. I knew who was left on both sides. We sent out our pokemon and my spirits were sinking, though we weren't going to go out with out a fight. That was a given.

Lapras vs. Vulpix

Red gave his order with a snap, _damn that guy suddenly turned into a hell load of a cocky S.O.B. like Blue._ I forced a grin quickly. The snow that fell around us suddenly was pulled into Lapras as she let out a lonely song like drone, her obsidian eyes reflecting the shards of frost.

_An Arceus damn blizzard? Arceus, that kid has become to cocky at the end of this battle_. I snarled to myself as I shot out an arm, "Alright Vulpix. This is our last stand, So use Fire Blast!"

The fire fox swished her crimson tails at me quickly before the hot flames began to preform a ballet close to her muzzle. Once the turmoil of ice and snow was thrusted upon into the battle, it was the same moment that Vulpix was able to fire though. She discharged the orb of fire out at the Lapras, the flames lapping into the kanji 大, a symbol meaning big.

When the fire and ice became one, a cloud of steam filled the air, expanding across it started to tumble off the cliff-side. My vision was absconded with, but Red must have been able to see clearing. Because within I heard wails of the two pokemon. A lonely Lapras was sounding her battle cry as another Vulpix screamed with displeasure and agony.

Then it was silent.

It took a few minutes for the fog to dissipate. Red had already recalled his Lapras, leaving poor Vulpix furled up in a soaking wet ball. She showed signs of life, her body shook erratically as she let out shivering moans. The snow that fell became part of her wet clots of fur, which began to turn into frost. The battle was over and I rushed to her side, both of her beautiful eyes were scrunched shut and ice forming above them. I could barely stumble over to where she laid, and once I was there I collapsed beside her. My bare knees couldn't feel the cold compared to how much it hurt to see Vulpix slowly becoming a popsicle.

I swept up the miserable creature into my arms, the sleeves of my jacket rustling her fur while I cradled the pokemon. Unable to know what was going on, Vulpix struggled, her puny paws pushing against my collar bone with a wavering strength. "Shhh..." I breathed my hot breath onto her folded ears, "It's okay... Everything will be okay... I'm right here, I won't leave..." Her floundering came to a hault, but her shaking persisted. Gently I stuck out my tongue and licked over top of her eyes. It was of course gross but the heat of both my tongue and breath was enough to melt away what froze her eyes shut.

Her amber eyes gradually opened, though filled with tears. I gave her a broken smile and I gingerly brushed the back of her head, my fingers running though her frozen fur in an attempt to defrost it. "I'm," My own tears started to pour down my face, "Sorry... I'm so sorry, Vulpix." The voice I used cracked like glass. I pushed her head under my chin and into my neck. Both arms wrapped around her like a blanket as I let the water slip past her. "We weren't ready. I'm sorry. I wasn't ready. I'm sorry..."

Then, like a castle after a horrible battle, it all came crashing down. I could no longer stop my tears even after returning Vulpix to her pokeball. Everything I was doing felt so... Wrong.

I was going to steal someone's pokemon.

So I could go home.

I wanted to go home so badly.

But even after, Red would still be banished to this frozen hell.

The only reason he was here was because of me.

He would never go home to his family.

And if I took his pokemon,

He would really be alone.

How could I have tried to do something so cruel?

To leave someone alone. Alone. Always alone. Something I knew too well already, and now to get back to a life where I was so alone I was going to give someone the same fate. He- Red would have never again seen the face of his mother, Proffessor Oak, or even Blue. If anyone ever comes up, it's an attempt to challenge him. Then they leave.

He is just used over and over.

Left in the cold silence of this mountain.

I was still sitting in the snow, my face now covered by my hands as I sobbed. I felt sickened with myself. I hated myself. What person would ever do that to another? "I'm sorry..." I whispered. Something that felt so distance unzipped, then zipped back up. "I'm sorry..." I repeated. Arceus, I was a horrible person. Selfish.

_Crunch... Crunch... Crunch...Crunch_

The sound of far away shoes stepping into the snow echoed in my mind as I mimicked myself, "I'm sorry... I am so sorry..." My words were choked, spilling into one another and muffled by the palms of my hands. My breaths fell into each other, and my throat felt as if it were swelling shut. "Red..." The steps stopped. "I am sorry..."

The silence of the mountain was no longer, now it was just the sorrowful wails of a child who had finally found their wrongs. My entire body trembled with each heavy sob, my chest rattling as my tears flooded though my fingers. _I hate myself... I hate myself... I hate myself... Your such an idiot Leaf. You couldn't even see such a simple thing..._ I sung to myself.

Breaking me from the spell I was under, a hand came down on my head. It was gentle though; a odd cloth or article was covering it and now fit around my head. I dragged my fingers softly down from my face, my eyes catching a white rim. A white rim that went around my entire head. I took my hand and spun it gently around what sat on my head, my hat... It was my hat.

I struggled to force my head to look up. To see the face of the one I, well, cheated. Red stood there over top of me, the hair I once imaged was a dark caramel was really a raven black. His eyes a deep color of rubies, and they were calm. His mouth was smiling discretely, but it was obviously genuine.

And he said the first words I had ever heard the trainer ever utter so warmly, "It's okay."

_He doesn't know._

_He doesn't know..._


	11. The Hacker: Chapter 10

After sitting in the snow like a bump on a log, I dragged myself up to both feet. Quickly I whisked away the tears that lined my cheeks and took in a big whiff of air though my clogged nose. _Smile, smile and pretend everything is okay..._ I said to myself before giving a bright beam to Red, "Y-Yeah, sorry about that. I guess... Bothering you on this Mountain was rude. Sorry, a lots been going on so I guess it all came down." I laughed nervously. I moved my head past Red quickly to see the Evening sun now melting away in the sky like a painting.

Red didn't really respond, just continued to look down at me with his red hues filled with an innocent curiosity.

I slipped my hat back so that it would sit on my head right as I smiled, "Thanks for finding my hat by the way!"

He shrugged with the corner of his mouth rising in a half-smile.

I took a quick breath, "Well... I should probably get going down the mountain now..." I buzzed very awkwardly. I spun around, kicking some snow into the air.

My stomach bubbled up, I could barely face Red. I felt so guilty. My breaths were shallow as my feet scuffed across the snow as I let my eyelids drop. In the midst of my next step, I was halted. Not harshly.

Not in the least bit.

Soft fingers modestly brushed against my own, letting my hand slip off like butter before I had even comprehended someone had contacted me. But the single action had enacted me to pause, my heart thumped. _Could he have realized who I was?_ It was the only idea that raced in my mind, _Why else would he stop me..._

As if everything was in slow motion, I looked over my shoulder. I found Red staring wide-eyed at his own hand. Confused being the only way I could describe his expression. Feeling my gaze, he snapped his head up quickly and have a twitched smile. I returned the clumsy smirk while curling up my hand into a small ball, thumb brushing over my index finger. "You, " I began to ask with uncertainty in my voice, "Want me to stay longer...?"

He gave a subtle beam before nodding his head once.

He seemed so much like a little kid in my eyes at the time. "Yeah, I'd imagine it gets pretty lonely on the mountain. Companies always nice!" I replied sweetly, like I was speaking his thoughts. "Plus, no one will send out a search party for me for probably another week!"

The red-eyed trainer gave a melted simper, his shoulder's dropping. Not in disappointment though, no... It was a way of relaxing. "Inside?" His deep voice purred, motioning with his eyes to the cave opening which lead to the depths of Mt. Silver.

"Are you offering for us to _go_ inside?" I inquired, him giving a quick nod. "Dear Arceus, Yes!" I shivered, burying my face into the collar of Blue's jacket. The two of us casually strolling into the cave. I took a quick survey of the area and picked a nice looking rock to sit on. I wandered over to the stone and plopped down, my legs suddenly felt all the aching from walking for so long. I wanted to fall back and just sleep at the time.

Red, who followed me in, turned to look down at me. I returned is look of emotionless. The stare off continued for a few seconds before he suddenly pointed down at my bag. Really not feeling the mood to attempt conversation with the boy, I swung my bag to sit on top of my knees to display it forward. Red's vibrant eyes dulled slightly as he rolled out one of his pokeballs that was sitting on his belt. He twirled it across his fingers, showing that he wanted me to take out my pokeballs.

In understanding, I rummaged though my bag- half regretting deciding to stay back with Red. Once I took out my six pokemon's capsules, he swooped them away from my hands. "Hey!" I quickly protested. Though my shout was in vain because his back was turned, his hand waving me off.

Then I observed him let out my pokemon one by one, healing them with a Full Restore he whipped out from his bag. At first, each injured pokemon was frightened to see their former opponent releasing them from their capsules. But as he softly sprayed the healing medication across their surface and the wounds shut. Or the leaves grew back. Or cracks welding shut. Swelling began to reside. My pokemon let their walls fall as they quickly warmed up to Red.

Each time, he would return one before sending out the next. And then he finally came to Vulpix. When she came out, her eyes became the size as poffins. Her head shrunk back far into her shoulders, jumping back from Red. The trainer had no reaction, just waited with both hands open in peace.

I examined the scene in this time, and gradually the small frozen fox limped over to Red. He let out a small chuckle and cuffed her ear with his hand; she reacted by rubbing her muzzle into his palm. A mutual trust reached, Red sprayed the Full Restore across her body. Right after she shook about her fur like a dog just getting out of the rain, her voice letting out a small pur- or growling in this action.

Following, she looked up at Red who knelt down to her height. She let out a bright bark and placed her two front paws on his knee, pulling her tongue across his right cheek short but affectionately. I let out a small giggle as he brushed out her fur with his hand tenderly. Both pokemon and Red jerked their heads to face me in unison, both a bit wide-eyed.

I rose an eyebrow, "Well, Vulpix, I know you've heard me giggle before! Why so shocked?" I asked with a joshing voice. Her answer was the small fox leaping away from Red. Vulpix's paws slapped against the cold stones of the cave before tackling right into me. Her head curled into my stomach while my arms embraced around her small body. In my hold she fidgeted around until I was cradling her, Vulix's eyes shut with tiredness. I let out an amused sigh, "Geez, if your tired- you have a pokeball!" I told her with a smirk.

She reacted by nuzzling my arm and snorted softly. "I think..." A voice hesitated, "She... Wants to stay out... With you." I looked up from my small fire type and back up at Red. Gently I smiled with an ease around my spirit now. It was odd, I could have pointed out to him that was the most he has said to me, but that would be a bit rude.

"Yeah. She's really exhausted... Times like that I let her sleep with me, I guess it helps her feel safe." Cradling her in one arm, I stroked her crimson fire, "Little girl is a real fighter... I met her on Cinnabar Island a few months ago. She was abused my her last owner I am pretty sure, I found her terribly wounded. Wounds no pokemon could inflict with such- well hatred. She isn't the strongest on the team, but she really has the most heart. And maybe one day, she'll be powerful. I won't rush her though..."

Red delicately stooped down in front of me and ran his fingers over Vulpix's nose. The small pokemon twitched an ear before turning her head further into the ravenette's hand. Red smiled and continued to pet her. "To be powerful... She just needs love." The three of us(Including Vulpix) sat there for a few moments until I could feel my pokemon's muscles relax. No longer tense. Red sensed it too and looked back up at me, "Looks like you got that handled, though." He smiled.

Though, it dropped very suddenly as he stood and turned away, pacing over to his blankets. From the pile he lifted one, from the distance it looked to be a light pink, like rose quartz, wool quilt. He dragged it over to me and carelessly tossed it over Vulpix and I. Slightly confused, I tilted myself to look around to the cave entry way to the mountain outside. Night poured in as the thousands of stars just caught my range of vision. _Night so fast?_ I asked very curiously.

Red sent out his Charizard quickly and as they both laid down I remembered, "Ah, Red! Thank you for healing my pokemon!" I expressed, just to receive a small wave. My shoulder's slouched while I let myself all onto one side, rolling from the rock. _When I thought I was getting somewhere in conversation with the guy..._ I shifted the blanket mostly to cover Vulpix and my upper half, leaving my toes in the cold. I pulled the fire fox close to my heart, shutting my eyes for a dreamless time to just shut my eyes.

It was odd, for most of the night, I felt cold. And then, a sudden warmth had covered my entire being.

And for the first night I had spent on that mountain, I drifted into a sleep.

Probably a few hours later, a small tongue lapped against my nose. Gently it persisted, and I finally opened my eyes I found Vulpix still wrapped in my grip but her head turned to wake me up. Seeing me awake she let out a cute little rumble before shoving her head beneath my chin. I gave a crooked smile down at her after rolling her closer, taking in observation I was not where I was last night.

Well, I was still in a cave in the mountain. That didn't change.

It was just where in the cave. A few meters from where I was slumbering last. And now I saw a orange claw draping past my head, white claws poking out. I angled my head quickly to see Charizard's cranium ahead of me. His jaw was pulled slightly open as he let out small snores, his eyelids closed very peacefully.

I wondered for a moment how I ended up here when my thoughts were abruptly dispelled. It was just then I noticed the arm wrapping over my own, a black wristlet hanging on loosely. Something brushed behind my head, into my hair. Chills spun though my entire body as I let go of Vulpix, crawling away into the cold air of the cave erratically. The pink blanket still sat over my shoulders as I panted heavily with an eye twitching, Red pressed up against the belly of his true starter with his arms resting out in the open space where I was curled up previously.

His arm quivered before his eyelids flickered open. Tiredly I swung up and sat forward to face me, his head cocked in confusion.

"IDIOT!" I shouted, Vulpix leaping around with no real clue to what was going on.

Red rubbed the side of his head, still shooting me an expression of utter disorientation.

My face turned a hot red with anger as I wrapped the blanket further around myself, "W-why?!" I pointed accusingly to him and Charizard who now was groggily awakening. "Why was I there?!"

The ravenette shrugged and simply said, "Cold." Pointing his finger to me.

"I-I seemed cold?" I stuttered, half-thinking the gesture was sweet. Half-thinking Red was a pervert. "That's no reason to wrap me up like- _that_!" I continued to yell.

His face fell softly, his red pools trembling slightly as his head shrunk below his shoulders. It was like a small child being scolded by their mother. Charizard also gave the same responsible expression, mimicking his trainer.

Seeing their sad faces, my shoulder's dropped and my anger fizzled away into a slight annoyance. I ran my fingers though my long hair, "Sorry for yelling..." I apologized, "Your meaning were innocent and good. Just- think though things a bit more, okay?" Both of my eyes were shut in frustration, but when they peeled back again I saw Red beaming, giving a slight shake of his head yes.

After that, the two of us let out the rest of our pokemon. The two Venusaurs clung to one another, occasionally calling over Charizard or Vulpix to re-light their small fire of small leaves and fines they had placed out.

Vaporeon and Lapras both swam around very liberating in a pool not too far away from where the rest of us sat. Each of them trying to show up the other one with swimming tricks or attacks. At first it was just for their prides, then a crowd of the other pokemon gathered. The two made an alliance to put on shows of ice and water for their company.

Pidgeot sat along side with Blastoise and Pikachu to watch the competition of water-type show-offs with amusement scrawled across their expressions. They all seemed to have a ball playing with one another like children on a playground.

Of course Hitmonchan was followed around by Marowak while they trained for their next battle. No matter how cold it was, sweat dripped down their bodies as they pushed themselves to the extreme, "Hey you two, don't push it too hard!" I would occasionally call out to them. Either way, the wouldn't listen and continued to spar against walls.

Snorlax, like any other, was sprawled out and snoring very loudly.

At some point as I sat beside Red, calmly watching pokemon, I shifted my gaze to him. He was so entranced by the twelve pokemon he hadn't even noticed. "Red, " I voiced. Suddenly, his head jumped to me, his attention now completely focused. I felt somewhat embarrassed before I asked. I don't know why, I just thought, "Do you believe in happy endings?"

His lips drew straight as his fire red eyes burned. He was thinking on it, but still never turning from me. I expected a head nod or shaking, but this time he spoke. His voice was clear and crisp like the air that drifted around us, "I think.," He continued to think while his bight hues swirled, "All stories deserve one."

My head rested back, tearing away from Red's gaze, "But, not all of the stories get them, do they?"

He was silent after that. I stayed for a couple more days, Red and I having short exchanges of words from time to time. I shared my journey with him, expertly leaving out how I was The Hacker who put him into this mountain and the purpose of my future journeys. Sometimes he would tell me small stories about his travels, which I already knew.

But I nodded and smiled with interest like I had no clue.

Other times we just took care of our pokemon, watching them side by side.

Sometimes, when you have been isolated for so long, you don't need words to make you feel together with another. You just need someone to sit by your side can call you their friend.

Before I parted to trek down Mt. Silver towards home, I promised Red I would come back one in a while and he gave me some Full Restores for the journey.

It was cold and hard for a few days, Vulpix refusing to go into her pokeball for most of the travel. During the times we had to go into the caverns of the mountain, I could actually sleep. The day we came off of the mountain, the sun was already setting but I pushed forward, an idea of home and a warm bed beckoning me.

Then, I arrived in Pallet Town. The night was a blanket covering the land as I scurried to the door of my home. Slipping my key out to open the lock.

The inky night flooded across the house. I could hear mother's soft nose whistles once I shut the door. I found her at the table, her head resting on her arms. My mother's jet black hair tossed around very messily like a Pidgey nest. Under her one hand was a phone, she had been eagerly waiting my return.

I smiled sadly and brushed her hair tenderly down with my right hand as I walked past. "I'm home, mum." I whispered before creeping up to my room. The squeaks of the floor boards would wail under my weight, each time I would flinch. I really didn't want to wake my mother.

Once I arrived in my room, I found it just the way I left it. Except no shattered photo on the floor.

Well, one thing was different. I tossed my bag onto the oak chair in front of my desk when I found it. A rectangularly flat object catching the moon rays that bled in from my window. A shimmering blue bow taped on top of its surface. And a white envelope tucked under the bow.

Slipping it out, I unfolded the letter. I read it to myself very quietly as the wind outside howled between the houses. The script was neat and pulled into ribbons of cursive.

"Dear Leaf,

I lied about only you coming into the game.

You also came with your laptop. I didn't dare tell you because back then I feared you would bring in more hacks and cheats. Well, I still am afraid of that. But I spent the last few months transfering what was on your laptop onto this one once I realized you weren't some messed up creep.

Here on this laptop is basically everything on your old one. Except your hacking programs. Hope you like it.

-Blue"

The letter slipped from my fingertips and onto the carpet of my room. I lifted the lid of the computer in disbelief and clicked the power button. The fan underneath began to run with a buzz as the screen glowed a bright white. My login screen flickered across and with second nature I typed in my password.

I was back in.

I scrolled though to find all of my short stories in Microsoft Word.

All my favorite songs saved to Itunes.

Everything that my old laptop was had been put into this.

My eyes fell onto the date.

I slumped back into the chair after shoving out my bag. I rested my forehead into the palms of my head as I simpered quietly, a tear or two sliding onto the keys. "Merry Christmas..."

_December, 25th 2014._


End file.
